Grab my hand
by ShanMah
Summary: AU What if Harry had decided to shake Draco's hand, accepting his advices and friendship, instead of turning him down and siding with Ron? How would they influence each other?
1. The choice

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters, spells, places, etc., because I do not own Harry Potter - only J. K. Rowling does, therefore I do not make any money out of this fanfiction. I am writing this only for fun.

**Rating:** M (characters will potentially have a bad mouth, and will potentially have sex so I think it's better for me to play safe by using this rating instead of the others)

**Pairing:** Draco/Hermione. No idea how long it will take, but they will be together. I've always wanted to write a fic about them!

**Warning number one:** This is fic is completely AU (alternate universe, if you didn't know), and is based on one single question that popped in my mind few days ago: what if Harry had grabbed Draco's hand? If you remember well, before they entered the Great Hall for the very first time, Draco gives his hand to Harry, offering him his "advices" about who he should be friend with and who he should not, along with his own friendship. In the actual version, Harry declines, therefore chosing to be Ron's friend instead of Draco, and leading Draco to be his enemy inside of Hogwarts. But what if he had taken Draco's hand, and had become his best friend instead of Ron's? After all, back there, Harry didn't know much about the magic world, and could've easily taken a bad decision, so how would they affect each other's destiny? I bet that never crossed your mind... ;)

**Warning number two:** English is not my mothertongue (French is), but since people seem to be happy about my English skills when it comes to Yu-Gi-Oh fanfictions, I thought it should be all right in the Harry Potter universe too ^^ I will do my very best to make sure there are not mistakes in my chapters, and that I do not use the wrong name for characters or spells or you-name-it that are different in French and in English. However, if you see any mistake like that, or a weird sentence, please tell me in a review or in a PM: it will be my pleasure to change it as soon as possible, thus improving the quality of my writing ^^ thanks in advance.

**Grab my hand**  
**Chapter 1: The choice**

"You will quickly learn who should be among your friends, and who should not. I'll help you."

Malfoy gave Harry a smile as he offered him his hand. _Who should be among my friends?_ Harry frowned. Was this boy right? Was it true that he was supposed to stay away from some people? Possibly... after all, wizards were probably like everyone. Some people were good, some people were bad. Harry slightly turned his head towards the red-haired boy he had met on the Hogwarts Express. Ron was looking at the floor, and his pale face was emotionless. He seemed like a nice person, but... what if Malfoy was right? What if it was truly not good for him to be around him?

His green eyes moved back on Malfoy's pale hand, then up on his confident face. He seemed to know what he was talking about, and obviously knew much more about this world than Harry did. After all, he had been raised in the magic community. He was the kind of person Potter needed as a guide. Harry gave him a timid smile, and shook his hand.

"Thank you," he said without noticing Ron's disgusted look. "I will surely need your help."

Draco smiled, and then walked away from Ronald with Harry. People were already whispering about them, wondering what the hell **he**, Harry Potter, the boy who lived, was around Draco Malfoy, son of a Death Eater. But, after all, it was none of their business, was it? So no one spoke, even though McGonagall herself raised her eyebrows very high when she saw Harry next to Draco as she explained how the ceremony would work.

Harry had no idea it would be _that_ long. Why did they have to watch at everyone? He noticed that the Sorting Hat took much more time with some students than he did with the others. What did that mean?

"Granger, Hermione!"

She was the girl in the train that interrupted them because she was trying to help some guy named Neville to retrieve his pet. She had also managed to repair his glasses. The hat remained silent for a short while, and then finally sent her to Gryffindor.

"Malfoy, Draco," McGonagall said while holding the very old hat.

The young boy walked towards her and sat on the chair, waiting for her to put the Sorting Hat on his head. She didn't need to do it, though: as soon as it touched Draco's pale hair, it yelled its choice very clearly:

"SLYTHERIN!"

Draco smiled, and headed straight for the Slytherin table. Many other people were sent to different houses, and, _finally_, McGonagall called his name:

"Potter, Harry!"

Everyone started to whisper as he sat on the chair, wondering where he would go, but she shot the students such a cold glare that everyone decided that being silent was a much better option.

"HA!" the Sorting Hat said as he was put on Harry's head, covering his eyes. " I've been waiting for this, my boy, trust me. Well, well, what do we have here... a very strong will... yes, a very strong will indeed... mmh... you know, you would feel perfect in the Slytherin house, I'm quite sure... yes, yes, you could do great things among Salazar's disciples... but you could also..."  
"I wanna be Slytherin," the boy thought with all his strength.

His new friend had just been sent there, so he figured that it was the best place for him to be too. Harry truly hoped that the Sorting Hat would listen to his prayer.

"Really? I thought you would... well, then, so be it. SLYTHERIN!" he yelled to the people in the Great Hall.

There was a short silence, but then everyone that was sitting at the Slytherin table started to applause and cheer very loud.

"We got Potter!" they chanted. "We got Potter!"

Slightly blushing, he walked towards this table, muttering "Thank you" whenever someone congratulated him, and he finally managed to reach Draco and sit next to him.

"Welcome to the best house in this school. The only house that is worth it, actually," Draco said.  
"Really?" Harry asked with an uncertain voice.  
"Sure thing," he replied while looking at the Gryffindor table with a disgusted look on his face. "Gryffindors are incredibly stupid, Hufflepuffs are weak and useless, and I guess Ravenclaws wouldn't be so bad if they weren't so boring and Know-It-All. Plus, these houses take anyone in, it's absolutely disgusting."  
"Anyone? What do you mean?"

Tons of food had just appeared on the table, but Harry was barely able to react, because Draco gave him an odd look after his question.

"Well, I mean they don't care if their students are real wizards or not."  
"Real wizards?"  
"Pure Blood, Potter," a girl called Pansy said. "Those who do not have any Muggle or Mudblood in their family."

She stared at him.

"You _don't_, do you?"

Harry scratched his head.

"Well I don't know... I mean I've never known my parents... And I don't even know what a Mudblood is..."  
"A Mudblood," Draco said with a very condescending tone, "Is a second-class wizard or witch with no wizard in his or her family. Weird mistakes of nature if you ask me."  
"Well... I don't know..."

He was getting confused. Aunt Petunia was obviously not a witch. She hated the magic world so much... did that mean his mother was a Mudblood, like Malfoy said? Did that mean he was not as good as a wizard as Draco and the others around him? _Did that mean his new friend would push him away? _He cleared his throat.

"I was raised by my mother's sister, and she was a Muggle... I don't know the rest of my family or any of the Potter, so I don't know about my father... I mean, I'm sure he was a wizard, the way my aunt was speaking about him, she said my mother met him here, so she was a witch too, but-"  
"The Potter were a family of Pure Blood," Draco commented with that slow voice that seemed to be his normal voice. "As for your mother, I'm guessing she was a Mudblood, which makes you a Half-Blood."

Harry blinked. Half-Blood? Now, he was starting to get pretty nervous about this blood purity story. He had never imagined it would be like that. Did that mean he was only half of a wizard, even if both of his parents were wizards? Did that mean he would never be as good as his friend?

"Is that... bad? To be a Half-Blood, I mean?" he finally asked with an hesitant voice.  
"Well," Pansy said as she poured herself a drink. "Being a Half-Blood is _ok_, especially if the Sorting Hat put you here. I mean most of the wizard don't have the chance to have a pure family tree. I mean of course it's not as good as being a Pure Blood like us, but it's ok. It's much better than being a Muggle or a Mudblood. Just don't go yelling that around in the common room, and take my advice: never speak about your Mudblood mother ever again. Unless you want enemies in your own house. Act like a Pure Blood and if anyone asks you, say that it is none of their business."

Harry sighed with relief.

"Thanks. I'll try to keep that in mind. I'm sorry about my questions, I didn't have the chance to be raised in this world. I just learned I was a wizard... it was quite a shock, but it sort of explained lots of things. Like, how I was able to speak to that snake in the zoo and set him free, and how my hair-"  
"You spoke to a snake?" Draco said, cutting him in the middle of his sentence.  
"Well... yeah. He spoke to me, too."

Again, Harry started to worry.

"What? It's not normal? You mean that never happened to you?"  
"It's... _uncommon_," Pansy replied after staring at him for a while in shock. "Being able to understand the Parseltongue... I would keep that to myself too, if I were you. Many people relate this ability to the Dark Lord, because he was the most famous Parselmouth. I'm not sure you want to be related to _him_."

Harry nodded, still a bit scared. He was not supposed to speak about his mother, nor was he supposed to speak about this ability. He sighed, a bit disappointed. He thought this world would be different, that he wouldn't have to hide things anymore... but he was obviously wrong. Apparently, even though these people seemed just like him, they were not. He was brought back to reality when Draco pushed his shoulder very lightly.

"Oh, come on, be happier! You still managed to make it to Slytherin, and that is what truly matters! If the Sorting Hat said you were good enough for Slytherin, then you are: end of the story."

Harry forced his lips to smile, doing his best not to look at the red-haired boy on the other side of the room. Had he made the wrong decision by chosing Malfoy's friendship instead of Weasley? It was impossible to tell, at least right now. He sighed very lightly, and decided to enjoy his first meal at Hogwarts with his new friends.

**End of the chapter:** There you go, first chapter's done! Please let me know what you think about it in a review! :D I know it is a bit short but I prefer (especially in English) writing shorter chapters that I publish more often, rather than longer chapters that would be published less often. Plus, this is only the beginning, the most interesting stuff is yet to come!


	2. Snakes for Christmas

**IGOTEAMEDWARD: **Thanks, I'm glad you like the plot - I just hoped it hadn't been done like a thousand times before. And, as the arrival of this second chapter may prove it, I like to update often ;) especially like now, when I know from the beginning where I'm heading ^^

**Chapter 2: Snakes for Christmas**

The day after, Harry entered the Great Hall alone. Draco was still sleeping and, while Pansy was already awake, she was "getting herself ready" and it seemed quite a long expedition for someone as hungry as Harry, so he had decided to leave alone. He was wearing his Slytherin uniform, although he wondered why the houses had different uniforms. Did the house matter that much? Ignoring the way people were looking at him, he walked towards the Gryffindor table, where Ron was already eating.

"Hey," he said with a smile. "Do you mind if I sit here with you?"

The red-haired boy swallowed.

"Yes," he replied with a voice that was much colder than the day before. "I _do_ mind. Now get out of my sight."

Harry blinked.

"What's wrong with you?"  
"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with _you_?! You made your choice yesterday, didn't you? You decided to be Malfoy's friend."  
"Does that mean we can't be friend?"  
"Yes, it _does_. Go and listen to what he has to say about me and my family, and Muggles and Mudbloods and what not. You seemed to be very nice in the train, but... now you're a Slytherin. I mean... bloody hell! Why _you_, of all people, would be sent to this house?"

Potter frowned.

"What's wrong with being a Slytherin?"  
"This is the house of the dark mages, don't you get it? Sly, cunning people, ready to do whatever it takes to get what they want. _This is the house of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his followers!_"  
"Wh... what?!"

Was it true? Had he really chosen to be among people like the one who murdered his parents and tried to kill him too?

"Harry?"

It was Pansy's voice. Obviously, she was done "getting ready". She put her hand on Harry's shoulder, and frowned while staring at him.

"Our table is on the other side, don't you remember? What are you doing here?"  
"I just... nothing."

She briefly looked at Ron in disdain, then walked away with Harry.

"Snakes," Ron muttered for himself as he shook his head.  
"Don't ever do that again," she whispered to him. "You're lucky I'm feeling nice today and I'm not going to tell the others. We don't mix with other houses, especially Gryffindor, and especially people like the Weasley!"  
"Pansy... can I ask you something?"

They sat at their table, and she raised an eyebrow.

"Sure thing."  
"He said... he said Slytherin was the house where V... I mean You-Know-Who and his followers went when they was at Hogwarts. Is that... is that true?" he asked nervously.

Pansy, too, seemed to get nervous, at least for a few seconds before she replied:

"Well, Slytherin are the ones with the greatest potential. Whatever they do with this potential has nothing to do with the house."  
"Well said," Draco's voice said as he arrived and sat with them.

And the days and the weeks slowly went by: Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson had become his two best friends. Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle and Blaise Zabini would often be around them, too, but only when Draco let them. Harry had quickly noticed that Crabbe and Goyle, two tall and big boys, were almost like Malfoy's bodyguards. They were not the smartest students in the house - actually, they were probably the dumbest - but they were kind of scary when they crossed their arms and stared at you with _that_ glare. And, to be perfectly honest, Harry had to admit that Draco obviously needed that kind of protection around him, since he didn't seem to mind bullying students older and taller than himself.

At first, Harry thought that Draco was pretty rude with other students, especially since he had been the victim of such pranks and insults when he used to go to the Muggle school. He didn't dare to ask Draco why he was doing this, for he didn't want Malfoy to be against him, but, one night in the common room, he asked Pansy. She arched an eyebrow, shrugged, and simply said it was funny to mock them, and that they deserved it anyway. Harry didn't replied, but he disagreed. Well... until this day, at their flying class, where Malfoy had stolen something from Neville Longbottom - the most gauche guy Harry had ever seen - and had thrown it in the airs, as far as he could.

_That_ was pretty funny.

The teachers were all very different. The only one that Draco seemed to like was Severus Snape, the one who was teaching potions. Snape was giving so much more advantages to the Slytherin than he did to the others, it wasn't even funny. Well... ok, on the second thought, maybe it _was_, but just a little bit. One thing was sure: Harry was glad he wasn't a Gryffindor. They had it the worst with Snape, who grabbed the slightest opportunity to humiliate them and take points away from their house. Harry noticed that Snape wasn't as nice to him as he was with the other Slytherins, though: but that didn't matter.

At least he wasn't Hermione Granger, that Gryffindor Know-It-All, who, despite knowing the answer to _any_ question Snape could ask, was often Snape's target - and not in a good way.

When Christmas started to approach, however, Harry slowly started to lose his happiness. Everyone couldn't wait to go back home, to receive gift, overeat their mother's delicious food and forget everything about school, homework and exams.

"What's wrong with you?" Draco finally asked one night, as they were studying their potion exam.  
"Christmas' coming," Harry simply replied.  
"And you are supposed to be _happy_ about it."  
"Well I'm not. I'm gonna go back home, with my aunt, my uncle and my dumb cousin, and they'll all eat, receive gifts and have fun, and I'm gonna be locked inside my room alone and bored out of my mind."

Draco rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"You seriously think I'm gonna let you go back with those stupid Muggles? You're spending Christmas at _my_ home, Harry, I've already asked my parents. And they said yes of course."

Harry stared at him in disbelief. No one had ever invited him to spend time at their place.

"You really did that?"  
"As long as I can help it, you're staying away from Muggles. And it's not like we don't have enough space for you to stay."  
"YES!"

Draco simply gave him one of his small, very rare sincere smile, and went back to his potions book.

* * *

When they got out the Hogwarts Express, there were many people running and screaming around. Harry thought it would take forever to see and reach Draco's parents, but he was wrong. They easily spotted them. How could you miss that couple? They were both tall, slim, and extremely elegant. Draco's father had long, pale blond hair tied back with a black ribbon, and he was dressed in black, which contrasted a lot with his skin. He looked like an older Draco. Draco's mother was almost as blonde as her husband, and she had amazing, crystal blue eyes. Her ivory skin was so perfect that it almost looked like it was shining, and she was wearing a very beautiful blue dress that perfectly matched her eyes. She seemed younger than her husband and was very good-looking, although she seemed a bit disgusted by all that was happening around her. She lost her snob appearance, however, when she saw her son. She smiled and almost ran towards him, and hugged him as strong as she could.

"Oh, Draco, I've been missing you _so _much! How's Hogwarts, darling? Are you doing good?"  
"I'm fine. Dumbledore is as dumb as Father said, Defence against the Dark Arts is useless, but it's ok."  
"I told you, Narcissa," Draco's father said. "We should have sent him to Durmstrang."  
"Lucius, we _already_ discussed that and Draco is _not_ leaving the country!"

Lucius didn't reply, and he actually paid very little attention to his only son. Instead, he was looking at Harry with his cold grey eyes, staring at his scar in silence for a while before he finally looked at him in the eyes.

"Well, well. I'll admit I almost didn't believe it when Draco wrote it, but it _is_ true. Harry Potter, the boy who lived, among the disciples of Salazar Slytherin. _Fascinating_. Well," he said as he took of one of his leather gloves, "At least you know how to choose your friends, young boy."

He gave Harry the coldest smile he had ever seen, and then looked at his wife and son.

"Well, shall we leave? We're surrounded by Mudbloods, it _stinks_."

He took Draco's hand, and they both immediately disappeared. Harry moved back.

"Where did they..."  
"They went home, of course, Harry. Oh, I'm sorry: I had almost forgotten you had been raised by _Muggles_. Such a shame. It's called Disapparate and Apparate. It does not hurt and it isn't dangerous for skilled wizards and witches."

She gracefully gave him her delicate, pale hand.

"Hold my hand, and don't forget to grab your luggage."

He took her cold, soft hand.

"And now, what am I supposed to do?"  
"Nothing," she replied. "Draco and you are too young to do this yourself. I'm doing all the job, just don't let my hand slip away."

Everything turned black, and Harry felt like his entire body, along with Narcissa's, was being pushed through a hole that was _way_ too small for them to fit in. When this weird feeling stopped, they were facing a huge, severe mansion.

"Welcome," she said, "To the Malfoy mansion."

Harry had never seen such a place. He knew, from the way he was talking, that Draco had a lot of money, but he never expected him to be that rich. He took his luggage and headed for the manor, but Narcissa's voice stopped him:

"Oh, no, don't bother. Dobby will take care of this."  
"Dobby?" Harry asked.  
"Yes, Dobby. _DOBBY!_"

With a cracking noise, a small, odd creature appeared in front of them, and immediately bowed in front of Draco's mother.

"Always a pleasure to see you, madam," he said very fastly, still bowing. "What can Dobby do for you, Mistress Malfoy?"  
"Bring his luggage to one of our guest rooms," she said with a very cold voice. "And punish yourself for taking so long."  
"Yes, Mistress, I will!!!"

Harry stared at Narcissa Malfoy when the creature touched his luggage and disappeared the same way it appeared.

"What... what was that?"  
"That was Dobby, our house elf. House elf are very obedient and hard-working creatures. Very useful in a house, if you can afford one, that is," she replied as she headed for the dark wooden doors of her manor.

This night, Dobby made the most delicious meal Harry had ever eaten. Everything seemed nice, but, still... something was wrong. Was it Lucius' lack of emotions, or Draco's formal way to call his parents "Father" and "Mother", or just this place's general coldness, he didn't know. Lucius, in particular, was scaring him a bit. He was glad - extremely glad - to be Draco's friend so he wouldn't have this man _against_ him. But, overall, they were nice to him: they even gave him some gifts. He had never received a real gift before. He frowned, though, when he took his last gift. His name was written on the card, but it was not the same handwritting as the other gifts. Harry opened the present, and something he had never seen before fell on the ground. He touched it. It was an extremely silky fabric, and it was a bit cold.

"What... what is it?" he asked to the Malfoy who were staring at him in disbelief.  
"That is an Invisibility Cloat," Lucius replied. "It is extremely rare and expensive."  
"Who gave you that?" Draco asked.

Harry shrugged, and took the card to read it completely:

_Harry,_

_This belonged to your father. He gave it to me before he died, and I trust you will use it wisely._

"It's not signed," he replied.

He smiled.

"But that's gonna be interesting," he said as he stared at his best friend.

**End of the chapter:** Meeeerry Christmas from the Malfoy Mansion! ^^ Hope you liked that one too, and remember: the review button is your friend!


	3. The Cup

**ajerickson21:** You have? Well I'm glad I'm not alone then ^^ I hope my attempt to answer it won't disappoint you.

**lalyta8:** Thank you very much! :)

**Anon.:** Well, I might be an "idiot" but you don't have the courage to login/register before you throw an insult so I don't know who's worse between you and I? Anyway, thanks for the info, I changed it - although I really don't understand why you felt like you had to call me an idiot for simple a mistake (especially since I told I was a _francophone_ so these mistakes in names _could_ happen once in a while).

**MargueriteHOL:** Thank you for the nice review ^^ I hope the rest of the story will please you too.

**David Fishwick:** And thanks for taking the time to review, it is really appreciated!

**LiveLaughGuard25:** So am I! Lol, just kidding. It will become Draco/Hermione, but this is going to take a little longer. For now, I'm more working on Harry's character, and the story will focus a bit more on Draco in a few chapters.

**Chapter 3: The Cup**

And they did it every year, every holiday: Harry spent those times ar the Malfoy mansion. The only moment where it was not possible, however, was for the summer holiday: his uncle insisted that, although he disliked his presence very much, it would look rather suspicious if he didn't come back during summer. "I don't want people around to think we murdered you and put you in a hole under the flowers," he had said. Draco sent him owls often, even though Harry had asked him not to do it, because it annoyed them a lot - but Malfoy didn't seem to care at all about annoying Muggles.

One particular afternoon, between his third and fourth years, the big bird of prey brought Harry the shortest letter his friend had ever written:

_"Hey, Potter, _

Pack your stuff right now. My father received VIP tickets for the Quidditch World Cup, and you're coming too. We'll come and get you at 5PM, whatever your stupid Muggles have to say about it.

Draco."

Harry blinked. Quidditch World Cup? _VIP tickets?_ Was it a dream? No, it wasn't. The letter was real, and according to his watch, the Malfoy would be there very soon: he had no time to lose. Harry immediately jumped off his bed and started to pack his belongings, in the fastest and most anarchic way: by throwing them inside his luggage.

"What the heck do you think you're doing up there?" his uncle yelled. "Are you destroying my house?!"  
"I'm packing my stuff!"

Downstairs, Petunia laughed with her husband.

"Don't tell me you're running away like you did last year," he said. "It's not nice to give us false hopes."

Harry rolled his eyes and put his magic wand in his pocket before he left his room with his luggage.

"There's a huge Quidditch competition and my friend Draco's coming in a few minutes to get me and-"  
"You are not going anywhere and your crazy friend is _not_ coming here with his wand and magic stuff to blow up my house!" Vernon said.  
"No one is going to blow up the house, dammit!"  
"Watch your tongue!" Petunia said.

The fight was interrupted by someone knocking on the door.

"You'd better open the door," Harry said. "You don't want to look rude, do you?"  
"I don't care what they think!" Petunia yelled.

However, she stood up and opened the door. Her entire body froze when she saw the Malfoy - or, to be more accurate, when she saw Lucius. Harry could understand her, though: now, he was used to Lucius' look and attitude, but he could be pretty scary the first time. Especially because Petunia since was afraid of _any_ form of magic, and would've peed in her pants in front of Neville Longbottom.

"Move over, _Muggle_," he said to her with his most condescending tone. "Harry, if you are ready, we're leaving."  
"M... Muggle? Look, _pal_," Vernon said as he walked towards the door. "I'm tired of people like_ you_ insulting me-"  
"First of all," Lucius replied with his coldest voice, "I am not - thanks to Salazar - your_ pal._ And, _secondly_, I will call you what I like and insult you if I feel like it, you filthy _Muggle_."

Harry tried to join his best friend's family, but Vernon blocked him.

"He's not getting out this house, freak show!"

Harry grimaced, unsure that insulting Lucius Malfoy was a good idea. To confirm his doubts, Lucius took his wand, but it was his wife that was the fastest: Narcissa quickly grabbed her own wand, moved it towards Vernon, and, without even having to move her lips, made him fall on the ground, in quite a comical way. He tried to stand up, but he felt like his bones and muscles had disappeared from his legs.

"Don't you _dare_ speak against my husband ever again," she said very calmly. "If you're lucky, the spell should end within three days. If you're unlucky... well... we never know."

Lucius smirked, apparently proud of his spouse's attitude, and Harry was finally able to reach them. He touched Harry's shoulder, and Narcissa took Draco's hand. They Disapparated.

When they reached the Malfoy mansion, Harry stared at Narcissa and asked, with an embarrassed voice:

"The spell... is it really going to last this long?"

She had a little laugh, clear as crystal.

"If he can walk in three days from now, he can consider himself lucky. I can't help but laugh when I imagine his stupid wife and fat kid trying to lift him up the floor with their meaningless Muggles abilities."  
"They'll kill me," Potter muttered for himself.  
"They're just _Muggles_. I'd love to see them try to do anything to a wizard," she replied with a mocking voice.

Narcissa gracefully walked away with her husband, leaving only her son and Harry outside the mansion.

"Your mother's... impressive," Harry commented to Draco.  
"She was born in one of the greatest family of Pure Blood, so _of course_, she is."

Draco sighed.

"For the love of... _DOBBY!_"

The obedient house-elf appeared with a huge "**CRACK**" and immediately bowed.

"It took you forever, what the hell where you _doing?_ Take care of Harry's luggage!"  
"I was preparing the dinner, young master, I did not know the Masters had the young Potter as a guest, I am really-"  
"You'll punish yourself for that," Draco coldly replied.

Dobby frenetically nodded.

"I will, Master Malfoy, I promise!"

Without taking care of the small creature, the two Slytherins walked towards the manor's huge door.

"Does he actually do it?" Harry questionned. "I mean, have you already seen him?"

He had always asked himself if Dobby was obedient enough to punish himself when he was ordered to do it by his masters.

"Yeah, sure he does, because we ask him," Draco carelessly replied. "Often he does it without being asked though. He just _knows_ he deserves it."

Suddenly, Harry smiled, and then laughed.

"What?" Draco asked. "What's so funny?"  
"I'm just trying to imagine how's my uncle right now, after 'meeting' your mother, and how my aunt must be freaking out. And that's a very funny thing to imagine."

Draco laughed.

"It sure is. Muggles are funny - they just don't know it."

The day after, Harry and the Malfoy family left for the stade. Harry could hardly believe that a rich man like Lucius or an elegant woman like Narcissa would do camping and sleep under a tent - especially when Narcissa, who had just put some dirt on her beautiful dress, had decided to transform the mud into glass and flowers, even though magic was supposed to be forbidden. Lucius didn't care much about this rule either, since he raised the tent with one move of his wand. Harry frowned, not sure that the four of them would fit in such a small tent, but he was blown away when he entered the tent.

It was breathtaking. From the outside, it was a normal, small tent. But inside... it was much bigger, and was as elegant as the mansion itself.

"Merlin, do I _love_ being a wizard," Harry whispered as he looked around with wide eyes.

* * *

And, finally, the moment came: Harry was very excited. First, he was with his friend instead of being with the Dursley. Second, he had never had the chance to see a professional Quidditch match, and it wasn't just _any_ professional Quidditch match, it was the Quidditch World Cup finale! And, thanks to his friend, he wouldn't be sitting _anywhere,_ he would have one of the best spot one could get.

They all raised their eyebrows when they saw that the Weasley were there too, along with Hermione Granger.

"Well," Draco said to Ron. "How did you all get here? Got lost or something?"  
"We have tickets, you son of a..."  
"Son of a what?" Narcissa asked with a cold voice that was not very different from her husband's.  
"You have tickets, really? What happened, you sold your house?" Draco asked with a mocking tone.  
"You're dreaming," Harry replied. "Their house wouldn't buy them half a ticket."

Draco laughed. Ron tried to stand up, obviously willing to start a fight with them, but Hermione forced him to stand still on his seat.

"Forget it, Ron," she murmured.  
"Yeah, listen to your Mudblood friend, Weasley," Harry said, making Draco laugh again.  
"**DON'T YOU CALL HER**-"  
"_Ron_, I said forget it!"

She pushed him down on his seat, but she still turned to stare at the two Slytherins. Actually, she paid very little attention to Draco, and was more looking at Harry.

"And I might be a _Mudblood_, but at least _I_ am not ashamed of what I am, and _I_ don't turn my back on my origins."  
"Don't know what you're talking about. At least I was meant to be a wizard."

She turned back without replying, although Harry was quite sure he had seen her lips move to say "bastard". He shrugged and started to talk to Draco, asking him who would win the match according to him. It was much more interesting than speaking to Hermione Granger about his family tree.

* * *

People screaming in the middle of the night. Harry sat in his bed and frowned.

"Draco! Draco, wake up!"  
"Whathecksgoinon..." his friend mumbled, still half asleep in his own bed.  
"Do you hear those screams?"

Draco sighed and rolled on the other side, turning his back on his best friend.

"Just the drunk Irish partying hard 'cause they won... it's nothing, go back to sleep..."  
"No, it can't be that. It's people screaming in horror," Harry replied as he got off his bed and put on his round-shaped glasses. "C'mon, wake up, dammit!"

Malfoy simply grunted and didn't move, but Harry still went outside, and what he saw there froze his entire body.

People wearing long, black clothes, were levitating a family. They flipped them in the airs, turned them upside down, even made them collide with each others while they all laughed.

"Draco!"

His friend sighed heavily, but finally decided to leave his bed and join Harry. When he saw what Harry was looking at, he just shrugged.

"And that's it? That's your reaction? We gotta go, or else-"  
"Or else nothing, Harry. It's just Death Eaters having fun with some Muggles."  
"Death Eaters? You mean those with You-Know-Who?"  
"Yes. Nothing's gonna happen to you, you're in _our_ tent. They'll never attack it."

Draco went back in his bed, and Harry - although he wasn't as comfortable as him - laid on his own bed too. He noticed that Lucius and Narcissa had left their bed, but decided it was better if he didn't mention it.

"Say, Draco..."  
"What?"  
"Does that mean he's... you know, coming back?"  
"He's _not_ coming back, Harry. He can't be. They just wanna show the Ministry of Magic that although the Dark Lord is dead and many of his followers are either dead or in jail, some of them are still free. But you've got nothing to be scared of. They just want to play, they're not actually going to do something dangerous. And who cares, after all... these are just Muggles."

* * *

Harry was running as fast as he could in the maze. _Reach the trophy. Win this tournament_. It had never crossed his mind before, because he was too focused on staying _alive_ until the end. But now... now he could _actually_...

He was brought back to reality when he ran right into Cedric Diggory. They both fell in the dirt, and stared at each others in silence, panting. Suddenly, Harry got up and started running again, immediately followed by the tall Hufflepuff. Cedric almost managed to reach him - almost - but Harry threw him a spell that made him fall on the ground again. He could see the trophy on its pedestal, shinning beautifully, waiting for him to grab it. He smiled when he stopped, having reached his destination, remembering Draco's "Diggory stinks - Support Potter!" campaign. Eternal glory to him, eternal glory to the house of Salazar Slytherin. He touched the cup.

As soon as his fingers reached their goal, he felt pulled towards the cup. A Portkey? Harry grimaced when he painfully reached his destination. He thought he would be hearing the crowd, but there was only the silence. He opened his eyes. A graveyard? There was a huge, black cauldron in the middle of the place: was it a last trial? Harry raised his wand, ready to fight - but he didn't have the time to use it.

"_EXPELLIARMUS!_"

He rolled on the ground until his back and head both hit a tombstone quite violently, and felt his wand slipping away from his dirty fingers.

"I'll be taking that," an unknown voice said. "You won't need your wand to _die_, Potter..."

Harry wanted to answer, but his body was still waiting to get some oxygen back. He felt extremely dizzy and confuse. Who was this man? Where the hell was he? Harry tried to make this mist in his mind disappear to understand what was happening around him, but he could not: all he could hear was the man whispering something about the bones of the father and the servant's flesh.

"The blood of the enemy... taken by force..."

Harry screamed when he felt a knife in his skin.

"You... wanna kill me with a knife?" he managed to say. "C'mon, fight like a... a _wizard_... are you a Muggle or what?"  
"I am no Muggle, and I am not the one going to kill you either, Harry Potter."

The man moved away, and Harry was finally able to - painfully - sit, as the wizard turned his knife over the cauldron with his remaining hand, dropping Harry's blood in it.

"The Dark Lord... shall... rise again..."

The Dark Lord? _Voldemort?_ There was no way on Earth this could be real, this man had to be out of his damn mind! Grimacing in pain, Harry tried to stand up, but failed and fell on the ground again. And... it actually worked.

_He_ rose.

Skin as white as snow itself, eyes as red as blood, all dressed in black. He touched his disgusting snake-like face with his long, thin fingers, and Harry knew, without having seen him before, that it was truly him - Lord Voldemort. The dark mage who had killed his parents.

"My wand."

His voice sounded almost like Parseltongue.

"Yes, master."  
"And your hand, Wormtail."  
"My Lord... I thank-"  
"The other one!"

The Death Eater bowed his head, and gave Voldemort his left arm. With his magic wand, he touched something on Wormtail's forearm.

"Well," he said for himself. "I wonder how many of them will come..."

_How many of them?_ Did that mean he had just summoned his Death Eaters - as if Voldemort himself wasn't enough to kill him? Suddenly, many people started to Apparate in the graveyard, all dressed like those who had attacked the Muggles at the Quidditch World Cup.

"Welcome back, my Death Eaters... I am glad to see you were all so quick to respond to my call tonight. Well... although some of you... disappointed me _a lot_."

He started to walk in front of them, commenting about how disappointed - or satisfied - he was with each of them. Harry noticed that the Death Eaters's line was broken at some points. He frowned. What did it mean? Suddenly, something else took his attention: there was one man there... with long, pale blond hair. Could it truly be...

"Lucius, Lucius... I can't say how much you disappointed me by being so quick to turn your back on me. Did you think I was truly done for, taken down by a baby?"  
"No, my Lord, I knew you would come back somehow, and I've been waiting for this moment - at the first sign, I would've come back to you immediately, I swear I-"  
"There's been more than just one sign, Lucius," Voldemort coldly replied.

Malfoy lowered his head, and Voldemort started walking again. When passing before an empty space, he carelessly commented about this Death Eater's death or treason - and the punishment that would come for betraying him. He finally stopped in front of a hole that was big enough for two people, and, as he spoke again, his voice had changed a lot - it was probably the warmest voice the Dark Lord could get.

"The Lestrange should be standing here," he said. "Unlike _others_, they proudly sacrificed their own freedom instead of lying to protect themselves. They never turned their back on me..."

He slowly moved his hand in the empty space, almost as if he was caressing an invisible person's cheek.

"Bellatrix and Rodolphus, my loyal servants... once you are freed from Azkaban, you shall both be recompensed... even more than you could ever dream..."

He stopped, and turned to Harry.

"But here I am, so happy to regain my body and followers, that I was almost going to forget our young guest. Harry Potter... I see you have been made a Slytherin. Well, it's a shame, to kill someone from this noble house. But I will comfort myself by remembering that you never truly deserved to be there in the first place. You are no Pure Blood... it is even your stupid Mudblood mother who truly saved you and allowed you to live this long. Oh, well..."

He brought his horrible face close to Harry's.

"Because you are a Slytherin, I will make you a favour before I kill you. What do you wish?"

Harry deeply breathed in. He had an idea to get the hell out of there, but this would require a perfect mix of guts and timing.

Not to mention a great deal or pure luck.

"I want my wand."

The Death Eaters laughed.

"Your _wand_, Potter? Do you, a fourteen-year-old student, seriously think you stand a chance against me, the greatest wizard of all times?"  
"I'm not just going to sit and wait for you to kill me."  
"Well... Wormtail, give him back his wand."

As soon as Harry's fingers touched the wood, he mentally smiled. He had no intention _at all_ to fight Lord Voldemort in a duel - it would have been more than foolish -, but his trap had worked: Voldemort was so full of himself that he was sure to be able to kill Harry easily, magic wand or not. As Voldemort was standing up, getting ready to duel, he immediately pointed his wand towards the trophy.

"_Accio!_"

Voldemort wasn't as quick as the Portkey, and none of his servants were allowed to attack Harry: he disappeared before the mortal spell could touch him.

The Dark Lord yelled in rage.

* * *

"HOGWARTS WINS!" someone yelled in the crowd when he was brought in front of them.

Many people came to him to congratulates him, but Harry wasn't listening. He rushed to Snape.

"The Dark Lord is back! Professor Snape, Mr. Fudge... you've got to do something!"

Snape remained emotionless, but everyone around him started to panic. The joy of Hogwarts' victory was gone, and Fudge stared at him with a severe glare.

"My boy, you must not say such things - I mean, imagine if it was _actually_ true - this isn't a joke you can make -"  
"I saw him with my own eyes! He's back!"

In the background, Harry saw Dumbledore shaking his head, but as he walked towards his school, Harry knew that he actually believed him.

Unfortunately, his reputation of a crazy old man wouldn't help the cause.

**End of the chapter:** Longer than the others ;) they will tend to be a bit longer now. I know it might be fast for now (third chapter and already at the end of Harry and Draco's fourth year) but it is still just the intro, I'm coming to the real stuff in the next chapters where the action will be slower. I'm just building up Harry's "new" character, and will focus more on Draco in the next ones. Fangirls, be ready to yell "Yayyyy, Dracoooooo"! XD


	4. A dark future ahead

**Chapter 4: A dark future ahead**

No one believed his words.

Harry spent the whole summer reading the newspapers stating that he was crazy, and that Dumbledore was even crazier than him to believe what he said about Voldemort. Draco and Pansy said they believed him, though, which made him feel a bit better. Well... Draco would have quite a hard time denying it: since his father himself was a Death Eater, so Draco was probably more than aware of the Dark Lord's rebirth. As for Pansy, Harry didn't know if she really believed him or if she said she did just to make him feel better. Anyway, both his best friend and his girlfriend had insisted that he stopped to talk about it. So they _did_ believe him, but they both agreed that claiming that the Dark Lord was back despite being described in the papers as insane would not help him to change the fact that everybody was muttering "crazy" in his back.

The curse that Draco once threw at Seamus Finnigan's face did the job for a while, though.

This year again, Harry was invited to spent Christmas with the Malfoy. This time, however, was different, because none of Draco's parents were there to pick them when they got out Hogwarts Express. Draco had said that his father was "too busy working at the Ministry these days", something that Harry had translated by "too busy being a Death Eater" - without telling Malfoy of course, since he didn't want to hurt him, or risk losing the only friend he ever had. Not to mention that Draco wasn't to blame for his father's choice and actions. So, because Lucius was "busy", and Narcissa would also be unable to pick them up, they had sent Draco a Portkey, in the form of a sock.

"You touching it now Potter? 'Cause it's gonna start v-"

The rest of this sentence would never be pronounced, as they had been magically pulled towards the green sock - well, actually, towards the Malfoy mansion. This time, Dobby appeared in front of them immediately to take care of their luggage, so he wouldn't be asked to punish himself for being late.

"It's about damn time that elf learns about _ponctuality_," Draco mumbled as they walked towards the severe manor.

Harry started to laugh, but the sound died in his throat when they entered the mansion's hall. From their position, they could see inside the living room that Narcissa was sitting on the couch, drinking a cup of tea. But it wasn't Narcissa who had such an impact on him - after all, he knew her quite well now, and she was very nice to him. No, the person that killed his laugh was the woman sitting next to her.

Long, dark, crazy hair. A bit of wilderness in her brown eyes. And this black, unique Mark on her left forearm that contrasted so much with her pale skin. Harry had to admit it, she had clearly been very attractive years ago, but years in Azkaban had taken away most of her beauty.

Bellatrix Lestrange, one of the most feared Death Eater. Harry knew that she had just escaped from jail with some others: the _Daily Prophet_ had forgotten to worry about his mental sanity for at least three days when it had happened. Harry also remembered how Voldemort's voice and attitude had changed last year when he had mentionned both Bellatrix and her husband. Since then, he had been thinking that she was the Dark Lord's favourite - if he could have such things as a favourite Death Eater. Favourite or not, she was surely one of the most cruel and fanatic of all of them.

Which wasn't good for him.

He grabbed Draco's arm, and his fingers clenched quite painfully on it.

"Ow! Harry, dammit-"  
"I can't stay here," he whispered.  
"What the hell are you talking about?" Draco replied in a murmur.  
"That woman there with your mother, she's... she's a Death Eater, she's one of the _worse!_ She drove people _crazy_ by torturing them with the Cruciatus spell - and when she sees _me,_ she's gonna do it to me too! That's _Bellatrix Lestrange!_"  
"I know very well who she is," Malfoy sighed. "Though I never actually met her. She's my mother's sister."  
"You mean-"  
"Draco, Harry? What are you both doing, standing in front of the door?"

_Damn._ Narcissa had just noticed their presence, and so had Bellatrix, since her sister had spoken.

"She's not gonna do anything to you," Draco muttered as he walked towards his mother and aunt, forcing his best friend to follow him.  
"Well, Draco..."

Bellatrix stood up. She was a bit smaller than her sister, and wore a black, tore dress with a leather corset - a contrast with Narcissa's elegant style. Harry also noticed that she was barefoot. She slowly walked towards her nephew, and gave him a smile.

"I finally get to meet you. It's been fourteen years, I don't think I need to tell you that you've grown up."

She caressed his blond hair with her fingers, in a way that seem kind of... wrong to Harry. It felt so strange to know how much pain this woman had caused, how she _enjoyed _causing this pain, and then see her playing teasingly with her nephew's hair.

"Aunt Bellatrix. It's a pleasure."

She smiled and touched his cheek with the back of her hand, giving Harry the best view of her Mark she could possibly offer. Harry was sure she did it on purpose, just to show him who she was - as if he didn't know it already.

"Don't be so formal with me, Draco. I've been in Azkaban for many years, you know - I am a noble lady no more, unlike your mother."

Narcissa smiled.

"A Pure Blood is always noble," Draco replied.

Bellatrix raised her eyebrows, and then turned to her sister with a cunning smile.

"Well, I see you raised him _perfectly_, Cissy."  
"He belongs to the great Black family too, Bella. _Toujours Pur_."

And Bellatrix turned again, facing the boys. This time, she stared at Harry.

"Harry Potter..."

She moved her hand in the air, moving away some hair that was covering his bolt-shaped scar. She followed it with the tip of her long, red nails.

"The boy who lived."  
"Bellatrix," he simply replied.

She started to walk around him. The way she stared at him, Harry felt like a mouse being watched by a snake.

"I think introductions aren't needed for any of us," she said.  
"You're right, they're not."

She smirked, then looked at his uniform.

"How _fascinating... _I thought Lucius was trying to make fun of me," she said as she played with his green and silver tie. "But it is true, I see. Slytherin? I hope you feel honoured."  
"I do," he replied.

Bellatrix stared at him right in the eyes.

"And that is the truth, I see..."

She smirked again.

"Are you afraid of me, Harry Potter?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Should I?"

The smirk that had creeped on her lips grew even bigger, and she brought her mouth very close to his ear so no one else in the room would hear:

"Do not worry. You belong to the Dark Lord - I cannot touch you..."

Bellatrix moved back.

"For now," she finished with a oddly calm voice as she sat back on the couch, next to her sister.

Later this day, Harry and Draco were relaxing outside the manor, when Harry hesitantly asked his best friend:

"Why... why is she here?"

Malfoy turned to him with a very serious look on his face.

"You want the truth?"  
"Yeah," Potter replied as he frowned.  
"Beside the fact that she is my mother's sister, our mansion is possibly the safest place for her to be. It's very well-protected and my father's influence over the Ministry of Magic prevents the manor from being the Aurors' target. Those who wish they could enter to see if we have any forbidden item or someone like my aunt inside _cannot_."

He sighed.

"Satisfied?"  
"Aren't you afraid of her? I mean I know she's your aunt, but knowing everything she did... that would scare the hell out of me. Even if I were her nephew."

Draco bobbed down, and then turned his grey eyes towards his friend. For a short moment, his eyes were so sad that it was almost painful for Harry to watch.

"You know, you should take one good look at Bellatrix," he slowly replied. "Because I'm gonna end up just like her."

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"A crazy-looking woman who loves nothing more than killing, except maybe torturing people, just for the hell of it?"

The sadness was back in Draco's eyes, even more painful than before.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"  
"I'm gonna end up with the same Mark on my arm, that's what I meant."  
"You won't," Harry replied as firmly as he could. "I won't let you."

Malfoy slowly shook his head.

"It isn't _me_ that you need to stop. I mean I used to..."

He stood up and started pacing in front of his friend.

"I used to think it was the good thing for me to do, you know. Like - oh, the hell with it, it's not like you didn't see him yourself - like my father. Since I was a kid, he has always told me that if the Dark Lord was to return, then I would become one of his followers. I-I mean... Muggles and Mudblood and Blood traitors... it's all they deserve, after all. I agree with that. But... thinking that they deserve it is ok when you're not the one holding the wand. You know, I would just sit back and enjoy the show. I guess it's why I don't like you talking about the fact that he's back. I try to forget about it... the closer this moment becomes for me, the more I ask myself... if I will be able to do it. And what will happen of me if I don't."

He cleared his throat and scratched his head, apparently ashamed of what he had just confessed to his best friend.

"Well... just forget about that," he sighed as he headed back inside.

Harry stayed outside alone for a little while, trying to assimilate everything his friend had just told him. It was surely the weirdest Christmas holidays beginning he had ever seen, but Harry made himself a promise this day, while he was sitting on the snow.

His friend would never be a Death Eater. _Never.  
_  
Even if he had to fight Lord Voldemort himself to save him.

**End of the chapter:** Here ya go! Two for one! I know it's much shorter than the one before but since it doesn't come alone, I hope I am forgiven. I am slowly getting to my main plot, I hope you still like it. I'll admit it, the way I wrote Bellatrix was more close to the movies' Bellatrix than the books, simply because she is so much better and crazier on screen than she is on paper (but either way she's my favourite Death Eater)! Love the sadistic-psycho-fanatic ;) I hope I did a good job writting her, and if there are other Bella fans among the crowd, do not worry, she'll be back ^^ Reviews are always appreciated of course! :D


	5. Aunt Bellatrix

**padfootsgrl79:** Hehe ^^ hold your breath just a moment, the time to scream will come very soon!

**WhiteTigerXOXO:** Yes, I know Harry is a bit rude towards Ron and Hermione but let's not forget that here, he has never been friend with them and has been made a Slytherin. Therefore, he is surrounded by people like Malfoy - his best friend - and Pansy - who was his friend and became his girlfriend. He doesn't forget about his mother's status of muggle-born, but still, he follows Pansy's first advice to act like a Pure Blood so he wouldn't have enemies inside his own house. Plus, being the boy who lived AND Malfoy's friend - which, according to me, is quite a good position in Slytherin - Harry here is more full of himself than he is in JKR's books. This Harry is of course not bad to the bones (in fact he's not bad at all) or a real bully like Malfoy, but he's more arrogant and confident, and tends more to be a bit bitchy. He sort of get used to it (as he got used to Malfoy bullying the others, and even started to find it was quite funny). As for the time line, I did not state their years fully so I'll admit it can be a bit confusing if you don't remember some details, but I gave clues, so here's the time line: chapter one and two are their first year, chapter three starts between the third and fourth year (as the Quidditch World Cup shows) and ends at the end of the fourth year (the Tournament and Voldemort's rebirth). Chapter four is the first half of their fifth year (people not believing Harry about Voldemort and 10 Death Eaters - including of course Bellatrix - escaping from Azkaban). As for this fifth chapter, it takes place in the summer between their fifth and sixth years: Draco is sixteen and Harry is about to turn sixteen himself ^^

**selemi:** Yes, I thought about that when I wrote the structure of my fanfic, and there is an answer to that question. First, before Voldemort comes back, there is officially no proof that Lucius Malfoy is a Death Eater (remember that it is Arthur Weasley's dream to prove it). Actually, he has a very good reputation in the magic community (thanks to have claimed he obeyed to Voldemort only under the Imperius Curse), as he gives a lot of money to St-Mungo's hospital and what not. In the books, Harry suspects Lucius only because Ron and the Weasley told him he was bad: here, his best friend is Draco, not Ron. Therefore, he hasn't heard anything bad about Lucius, or maybe some vague rumours. Also, even if Harry was to suspects Lucius of being a Death Eater, he would be likely to still go to the mansion because as long as Voldemort is supposed to be dead, Lucius will never sacrifice his good reputation and risk a life sentence at Akzaban - there is a lot to lose and very little to gain, and he is _waaay_ too much of a coward for that. Secondly, after Voldemort's rebirth, Harry still accepts to go to Draco's manor for the same reason that Bellatrix doesn't do anything to him - because he belongs to the Dark Lord, and to the Dark Lord alone, otherwise he would have had Wormtail to kill him right after he took his blood, instead of just Disarming him and letting him alive. Still, he didn't expected Bellatrix and it was quite a shock, because she scares him much more than Lucius (not to mention he's known Lucius for five years now). I hope this answers to your questions ^^

**Akatsuki'sBloodyNekoNinja:** Hope I didn't make a mistake in your nickname ^^ thanks for your lovely review!

**LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL:** Thank you!!

**Chapter 5: Aunt Bellatrix**

"Draco?"

It was his mother's voice. He turned to look at her and she smiled, trying to look perfectly calm, but he knew she wasn't. Ever since he had come back from Hogwarts after his fifth year, she had lost a lot of her confidence, and Draco suspected he knew why.

"Yes, Mother?"

Narcissa opened her mouth, but didn't have the time to speak, because her sister was right behind her, and she was so excited that she spoke first:

"The Dark Lord has requested your immediate presence, Draco."

She seemed extremely proud - much more than his mother, who seemed more sad than honoured.

"He... he did?" Draco asked hesitantly.  
"You have nothing to be scared of, Draco. Nothing bad is going to happen to you. Unless you disobey - but it is not something you would do, of course. I'm sure Cissy raised you better than that."

His aunt moved her hand towards him.

"We have both been asked to bring you to him so you can meet him and listen to what he wants to tell you."  
"Bella, let's go. Let's not keep the Dark Lord waiting," Narcissa said.

She tried to make it sound as if she simply didn't want to be late for Voldemort, but Draco could feel that his mother just wanted to get this over with. She quickly turned her back on them, and Draco could swear he had seen her hand move to wipe away a tear. He took a deep breath, and grabbed Bellatrix's hand. The three of them Disapparated.

They reached a dark, empty room. Draco had no idea where they were - it felt like it was underground or even under the water. His heart missed a beat when he saw Voldemort for the very first time. Was he really... human? Could someone human have eyes and skin like that? And his _face_... Bellatrix slightly pushed him a bit forward, but she still kept his hand in hers.

"Ah, Bellatrix. Perfectly on time, as always..."

He stared at Draco with his red, reptilian eyes.

"Draco Malfoy... pleased to meet you."  
"So am I."

Voldemort slowly shook his head and moved his thin index in the air, like a father saying "Don't try to fool me, son".

"Do not _lie_ to me. You aren't pleased, you are afraid. There is no need for you to be scared, Draco. Unless you want to walk in your father's footsteps and make me... _disappointed_."  
"I won't."

His only concern now was to prevent his voice from shaking. It wasn't the right time to sound like a whimp.

"So if I want you to do something, you will?"  
"To the best of my abilities," Malfoy replied with a voice that sounded calm.  
"Ah, music to my ears. Well, I will go straight to the point. As you may know, Hogwarts is filled with parasites, filthy Mudbloods who dare call themselves wizards, inferior being believing that their abilities are worth those of a Pure Blood like you. Soon, I will give Hogwarts the glory it truly deserves, and get rid of them. And for this, I will need you to do something for me."

He stopped pacing, and looked at Draco right into the eyes.

"Not only will you manage to find a way to make the Death Eaters enter the castle, but you will also kill Albus Dumbledore for me. As long as he is alive, Hogwarts cannot be purified by me."

Narcissa gasped - both in surprise and in horror - and moved back, putting a shaking hand on her mouth. Draco himself stared at the Dark Lord in disbelief. Was he out of his mind? Draco wiped this thought away, knowing that insulting Voldemort - even mentally - was never a good idea. He hadn't even graduated from Hogwarts yet, how could he possibly kill a wizard like Albus Dumbledore?

"M... _me?_ How can I do that?"  
"Oh, I am sure you are quite resourceful and will manage to find a way," Voldemort carelessly replied. "You have until the end of the year to prepare yourself and perform your deed. Shall I be _disappointed_ by you, there will be... consequences."  
"But..."

Narcissa's voice was shaking as much as her body, if not more.

"But... but... Draco is only sixteen, how can you... how can he be _expected_ to defeat someone such as Dumbledore?"

Voldemort shot her an extremely cold glare, then looked at Draco.

"It seems your mother doubts you, Draco. Well, _I_ don't doubt you. I'd love to be the one putting Dumbledore down, but instead of doing it myself, I'm entrusting you with this very important mission. Will you prove her wrong and prove yourself worthy of this honour?"

Draco took a deep breath. Voldemort's question was a fake one: there was only one answer possible.

"I will."

Did he truly had the choice anyway? Voldemort nodded and took out his wand.

"Well, then, give me your arm, Draco."

Draco hesitated for a second, but, feeling Bellatrix's severe glare on him, he obeyed and gave his left arm to Lord Voldemort. As soon as the dark wizard's wand touched his pale skin, he felt an excruciating pain on his arm, as if his skin was being burned and thrown boiling acid at - at the same time. His right hand tightened so much on his aunt's that he probably broke her a few bones. It was extremely painful: he had no idea it would hurt this much, and his entire being was focusing on preventing the tears he felt in his closed eyes to fall down his cheeks.

He had absolutely no idea how long it took, but once it was finally over, the Dark Mark was here, on his arm, and he had fallen on his knees, panting. Now, there was no turning back.

"Bella," Voldemort said with a calm voice, as if he didn't even noticed how much pain he had just caused. "You will be training Draco for this mission. You and you alone have this right."

Bellatrix bowed respectfully in front of her beloved master.

"I will be both my pleasure and my honour, my Lord."

She Disapparated with Draco. Narcissa, however, stayed behind. Voldemort stared at her with an icy glare.

"What do you want?" he asked harshly.

A silent tear went down Narcissa's pale and beautiful cheek. She fell on her knees, and her shaking hands clenched on the Dark Lord's black clothes.

"My Lord, please... I know that Lucius has disappointed you a lot, but _please_, I beg of you... not Draco, not my son! Please spare him..."

Disgusted, he pushed her away and moved back.

"Leave now if you truly value Draco's life and yours."

Narcissa sobbed and went back to her mansion the same way her son and sister had just done.

* * *

"Well," Bellatrix said as she calmly moved her wand over her injured hand. "You almost turned my bones into dust there, Draco."  
"I'm sorry," he mumbled, still recovering from the pain he had endured while Voldemort was giving him the Dark Mark.  
"It hurts a little bit," she continued, "But it's ok. Soon, you will forget the pain."

They had Apparated in the mansion's basement, where Lucius was hiding most of his dark magic artifacts. They were surrounded by darkness, and she used her wand to light some half burned down candles.

"Let's start now. We have a lot of job to do and little time to get it done: I am not allowed to give you advices about how you should fulfill the Dark Lord's wishes. However, to the best of my abilities, I will give you weapons so you can achieve your goal."

She started walking around in the basement, lighting more and more candles as she did.

"Occlumency, potions, extremely useful but oddly forbidden spells. And of course..."

She turned to him, and a smile creeped on her lips.

"The Unforgivable Spells. You will be able to control, kill, and - oh, my personal favourite - _torture_."  
"Why would I need the Cruciatus Curse?" Draco asked hesitantly. "I'm just supposed to _kill_ him."  
"You are right, but you'd be amazed how persuasive pain can be. And this mission is only the beginning for you, Draco..."

Bellatrix put down her wand, and walked towards him.

"One of the most useful skills a wizard can use is the ability to close his mind, known as Occlumency. The Occlumens knows how to shield his thoughts and feelings from the others, preventing them to predict his acts, notice his fear and see through his lies. I will start by teaching you that. Close your mind, Draco... don't let me see in your head... _Legilimens!_"

Her voice had suddenly changed from slow and low to very loud and clear: surprised, Draco moved back, and flashes of his past started coming back to him, all mixed up and confusing.

_"A Mudblood? What is a Mudblood?"_  
_"Give me your arm, Draco."_  
_"I'm gonna end up just like her."_

"Stop it!"

The idea of his aunt being able to look at each one of his memory made him feel incredibly incomfortable. She sighed very lightly, and the flashblacks stopped.

"Predictable. You're very young to be learning that. Let's do it again."  
"Wait, Bella, _how_ am I supposed to do it? I don't even know how it _works_-"  
"It cannot be explained. Push me away, Draco, kick me out of your mind. If I were an opponent, you'd be giving me weapons against you. _Legilimens!_"

_"Muggles are funny. They just don't know it."_  
_"A Pure Blood is always noble."_  
_"DOBBY! What's taking you so long? I want my tea right now, you dumb elf!"_  
_"She's my mother's sister."_  
_"I used to think..."_

No, not _that_ moment. There was no way in hell she would see him confessing his fears to his best friend. He did everything he could to prevent her from seeing the rest of this memory... and the flashback stopped. Draco stared at Bellatrix.

"It took you a while to do it, but it was better. Again," she said, apparently merciless. "_Legilimens!_"

**End of the chapter:** Please raise your hand if you don't want Bellatrix Lestrange to be your aunt! *raises hand so high it touches the ceiling*


	6. Cissy's request

**sweet-tang-honey: **Great reviews! Haha, just kidding ;) thanks for taking the time to read and comment! :D

**LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL:** Thanks a lot! I'm glad you liked it.

**Musical advice: **If you have Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince's soundtrack, I highly suggest you listen to "Snape and the Unbreakable Vow" while reading this, especially the second part. It is what I listened to while writing and I thought it fitted a lot ^^ the beginning would fit more with "Malfoy's Mission", if you like music when you read as much as I love music when I write ^^ (if not, well, read in silence, what can I tell you! ;) ) Yeah I just discovered HBP's OST, how did you guess?**  
**  
**Chapter 6: Cissy's request**

It was a rainy evening. And, like every evening, Draco was deep down in the mansion's basement with Bellatrix, who had proven herself to be both a competent and a terribly exigent teacher. Especially tonight, when it had come to her favourite spell.

"_Crucio!_"

The mouse didn't move in pain. Instead, it just kept staring at Draco. In his back, his aunt sighed.

"It's not just like any other spell or curse," she said. "The Cruciatus Curse is special. You must _want_ the pain. Not to please me, not to make me shut the hell up, not to avenge someone or anything like that. You must want it for _yourself_. Selfishly, for your own pleasure. And the more you enjoy it... the more your victim will suffer."

Draco looked away, feeling very embarrassed by the situation. Bellatrix was a real sadist - no wonder she liked this Unforgivable Spell so much and used it so well. She could torture anyone and laugh while doing it... and he couldn't even torture a damn _mouse_, and he couldn't imagine what it would be like if he had to do it to a real person. He bobbed down, and she immediately raised his head with two fingers under his chin, forcing him to look at her in the eyes.

"Do _not_ lower your head. You are young to perform this spell, as you were young to learn Occlumency, but you can still do it. Come on, Draco, it's just a _mouse_."  
"I don't think I can do it, Bella, seriously-"  
"You can do it! The Dark Lord trusts you, and you should be honoured instead of thinking it is impossible for you to perform your deed! If the Dark Lord thinks you can do it, then you can - and you _will_."  
"Why can't I just kill the mouse? For now?"

Again, Bellatrix sighed, but walked back. He would have to learn the Killing Curse anyway...

"All right. Kill the mouse."  
"_Avada Kedavra!_"

Nothing happened - except that the mouse kept staring at him, perfectly alive. Despite the fact that his hand was shaking on his wand, he moved it again in the airs:

"_Avada Kedavra!_"

The infamous green light came out his wand and hit the white mouse, immediately taking life away from it. In Draco's back, Bellatrix nodded in appreciation.

"Well, it looks like you've got more affinities with pure murder," she said with a cunning smile. "At least with vermin."

* * *

Harry sighed heavily in the middle of the night as he read the Daily Prophet. Voldemort had been back for over a year now, and they still claimed it had never happened. The signs were all there: Death Eaters had escaped from Azkaban, the Dementors were out of control, and people - both Muggles and wizards - had started to disappear without explanation. Even with all that, Fudge and the press swore Voldemort's rebirth was Harry and Dumbledore's lie. It was so ridiculous that the Dark Lord himself was surely rolling on the floor from laughing so loud at them. He and his Death Eaters were probably preparing something really big under everybody's nose, and the fact that most people refused to believe he was back made it much easier. Could it be possible that Fudge was under the Imperius Curse? Could he be why he kept saying that Voldemort was truly dead? While thinking about this eventuality, Harry slowly fell asleep and his fingers let his wand slip away and fall on the floor: the magic light went out.

A few hours later, he was waken up by a cold, wet hand put on his mouth. He opened his eyes, and saw a black silhouette bending over him. He tried to scream, his hand reaching for his wand, but the hand on his lips blocked the sound, and his magic wand was nowhere to be found. The mysterious person put a finger on her own lips.

"Shhh!" whispered a oddly familiar voice. "Harry, _calm down_, it's just me... it's Narcissa."

Harry calmed down, but just a little bit: after all, why the heck had she sneaked up on him as he was sleeping? His right hand was still trying to reach his wand. Damn, where was it?

"Do not panic... listen, I will take away my hand, if you swear you will not yell."

Narcissa's voice was so low that he could barely hear her speaking over the sound of his own heartbeat. He stared at her, and then he truly calmed down. It was really her, and, oddly, she looked like she had been crying. For a short moment, he had thought the person in his room was Voldemort, or Bellatrix, or anyone who would want him dead.

Yes, he was starting to be a bit paranoid.

He silently nodded, and Draco's mother moved her hand away. Harry sat on his bed and stared at her. She was wearing a long black mantle with a hood, over what seemed to be a satin pajama. He frowned. Why would an elegant woman such as Narcissa Malfoy visit him without taking the time to put real clothes on? And, for that matter, why would Narcissa Malfoy visit him in the first place, in the middle of July, and in the _night?_ She had obviously went outside, since her mantle was all wet with rain. A tear went down her pale cheek, forcing Harry to break the silence:

"Mrs. Malfoy... why... why are you here?" he murmured.

If his aunt and uncle heard them, he was a dead man, but somehow, seeing Narcissa - a woman that he considered strong, calm and confident - crying in front of him made him worry more than getting punished again by them. She deeply breathed in.

"I am really short on time, Harry. I will explain _everything_, but please do not interrupt... at least, not unless you truly have to."

She was speaking low and fast, and he could hardly understand her words.

"I'm not supposed to be here... I've been forbidden by the Dark Lord to speak about it to anyone, so telling _you_... it's probably the worst thing I could ever do. I don't have much time, I managed to sneak out the mansion, but if Lucius or Bella notices that I've left my bed tonight, there will be terrible consequences... but this is a risk that I am willing to take. For Draco... for my only son... I'd do _anything_."

Harry's body was now really tense, and he had a terrible sensation in his stomach. Did it mean that his friend was in danger? Tons of horribles eventualities crossed his mind, as he asked:

"Draco? What about Draco?"  
"The Dark Lord... he entrusted Draco with a mission."  
"No," Harry whispered for himself.

Was it too late? Had he broken this promise he had made to himself - to prevent his best friend from being a Death Eater?

"But you have to understand, this is a mission that he _can't_ possibly accomplish... it is a task even the Dark Lord himself would have troubles accomplishing."  
"Why would he give Draco an impossible mission? Isn't it useless?"  
"The Dark Lord doesn't _want_ Draco to succeed. He wants him to fail so he can die trying, or be killed by him as a punishment for his failure."

She sobbed and wiped away tears from her pale cheek.

"It has nothing to do with Draco himself... it is meant to be a punishment for Lucius. I know it, I'm sure. When the Dark Lord fell, fifteen years ago... Lucius swore he had never wanted to be on his side, and thus was saved from Azkaban. The Dark Lord, as you may know... dislikes betrayal very much. And even though Lucius has returned to him immediately when he was brought back to life, he wants to punish him for turning his back on him years ago."

Again, Harry frowned.

"But then why not take care of Mr. Malfoy directly? Why should he involve Draco?" he asked in a whisper.  
"Because using Draco is much more cruel than just killing or even torturing Lucius with magic," she whispered back. "You must understand how it is... if anything should happen to Draco, not only Lucius would lose his only son, but two of the greatest Pure Blood family would be left without an heir, because of _his_ actions. This is one of the very few things Lucius could never forgive himself. And that, according to the Dark Lord... is the worst punishment for Lucius. For _us_..."

Narcissa felt gracefully and silently on her knees, and her shaking hand clenched on Harry's sheets.

"I swear I tried... I begged the Dark Lord to spare Draco, but he wouldn't change his mind. You just _can't_ change his mind. And now, Harry, I am begging _you_... please, save him."  
"But, Mrs. Malfoy... why me? I mean, how can _I_ change anything about it? I'm not even-"  
"Because he will listen to you! I can't change his mind, the Dark Lord made him believe he trusted him, and right now Bella's training him, she is showing him to use forbidden spells and is trying to convince him that being a Death Eater is both an honour and his destiny. I can't reach him anymore... but _you_... his best friend, the only one he's ever had... perhaps you can do something for him."  
"Mrs. Malfoy," Harry started.

She never let him finish his sentence: her fingers clenched around his and she stared at him in the eyes, the tears on her face shining beautifully in the moonlight.

"I beg of you, Harry... the Dark Lord has already taken my husband and my sister... please, do not let him have my son! Do not let him taint his soul with a murder!"

Harry felt like a heavy stone had just fallen on his heart: not only because of Narcissa's words, but also because of this terrible feeling of despair he could hear in her murmurs. To see such a woman on her knees, begging him for help, was unbearable. It seemed that she was, despite being a sister and a wife to two Death Eaters, only a mother who wanted to protect her beloved son from harm.

"A... a murder?" he asked, fearing the worse.  
"The mission he received from the Dark Lord... is to kill Albus Dumbledore."

Harry stared at her in disbelief, but he knew she wasn't lying. Why would she be there in the middle of the night, crying in front of him, if she wasn't speaking the truth? He also knew she was right: there was no way on Earth Voldemort could seriously believe that Draco would be able to take down Dumbledore. He was sure to die trying or be murdered by Voldemort himself for his failure. He snapped out of his thoughts when she spoke again:

"Harry, please... will you help Draco?"  
"I will," he promised in a whisper.

**End of the chapter:** Oh my God, since I started to write this I wanted to make this scene between Narcissa and Harry ^^ I hope you enjoyed it, because it was great to write :) As you can see, the change in the plot here is more important than it was in the first chapters ^^ note than here, Lucius is not in Azkaban (like he actually is in Half-Blood Prince), and both Fudge and the press are denying that Voldemort is back, since the attack at the Ministry never occurred here. I made a few tiny little changes in chapter five, I saw a few stupid mistakes while reading it again so I edited ;)


	7. Return to Hogwarts

**jackiieee:** Thanks for your review ^^ as I said at the beginning, it may take a while before Hermione appears and starts a relationship with Draco, but it _will_ happen. I've started the fic by building up Harry's new life and personnality as a Slytherin and friend to Draco, and now I am going to focus more on Draco's side ;) I'm gonna dive into his mind! You will have to be a bit patient for now, but I promise, Dramione's coming! :) And about Harry being too good to be Draco's friend, what do you mean? He was pretty mean himself with Hermione and the Weasley at the QWC. If you meant his promise to himself and Narcissa to save Draco, then I will say that it is pure loyalty to his friend, and that nothing specify that a Slytherin is disloyal - in fact, the character that I view as the most loyal (Snape), both to Dumbledore and Lily, his first and only love, is a Slytherin. ;)

**WhiteTigerXOXO:** Later, as I said ;) Thanks for the comment about my writing skills, it is very flattering (especially because I am writing in a language that isn't mine), I worked a lot on it so I'm glad you like my style :D

**sweet-tang-honney:** Thank you!

**Chemburlee:** Thanks a lot! My biggest fear was to discover that like a million people had wrote this before (I wouldn't know since I'm much more a writer than a reader on this site, but still...)

**Megara Spoiler:** Awww who knooows! You're right, I'm the only one - for now. I've already decided how it will happen, but of course I'm not gonna tell :P but don't forget that here, Harry is not as close to Dumbledore as he is in the books ;)

**LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL:** I'm always scared of putting the capitals letters in the wrong place with you!!! ;) Thanks a lot for your nice review :)

**Chapter 7: Return to Hogwarts**

Since that night, Narcissa's words had been haunting Harry's mind. Even today, as his uncle was driving him to King's Cross - something that usually made him feel very happy - he couldn't help but think about that rainy night. He had sworn to Draco's mother that he would help her only son, but now he was starting to wonder how exactly he was supposed to fulfill his promise. He wished he had asked her some questions when she was there. Voldemort had asked Draco to kill Dumbledore, but had he truly made him one of his followers? Was his friend forever connected to him with the Dark Mark? The fact that Bellatrix was training him was really bad news for Harry: he knew how much of a fanatic she was - how else would she spend so many years in a terrible place like Azkaban? Narcissa had said that as his best friend, he would be able to reach him, but if his aunt was filling his head with her Death Eater pride or whatever she called it, Harry doubted he would be able to do anything.

_And what was he supposed to say anyway?_ He sighed and leaned his forehead on the cold car's window. What do you say to a friend that was put in such a bad position? "Draco, I know everything - your mother told me. Don't to it - it's suicidal, you know it." But not doing it would _also_ be pure suicide for his friend... and what if... what if Draco was _successful _in killing Dumbledore? He would never win a duel against Hogwarts' headmaster, but Harry knew his friend knew better than to try that. Draco was too smart to think he would have a chance facing Dumbledore, but he was also a talented young wizard - not to mention that Bellatrix, herself a very gifted witch, had probably been teaching him a lot of dangerous things about the Dark Arts.

As he walked towards the train, Harry tried to imagine how Draco could kill Dumbledore without fighting him. He could poison him, curse him with a dark magic artifact, force someone else to face him in a duel... Draco was a very clever person, he would probably think about-

He snapped out of his thoughts when he was suddenly hugged by someone. It was Pansy, of course, her smiling lips begging for a kiss that he was more than willing to offer. He kissed her softly and caressed her brown hair.

"Harry, I've been missing you _so_ much! Why didn't you write more often?"  
"I told you, Pansy, I want to use Hedwige as little as possible. I'm sure Voldemort-"  
"Bloody hell, Harry, do _not_ speak his name, I've told you a thousand-"  
"Allright, _You-Know-Who_, then. I'm pretty sure he has his Death Eaters watching the owls," Harry continued. "And I don't want them to make any connection between you and me."  
"You're paranoid," she said as she took his hand and walked towards the Hogwarts Express with him.

Harry opened his mouth to reply, but he forgot about it when he saw Draco entering the train, apparently without having noticed his friends.

"Hey, let's catch up with Draco," he said before this conversation became uncomfortably focused on how paranoid he was supposed to be.

* * *

"Draco!" Pansy said as they finally found the compartment where he was sitting. "You too almost didn't write to me! Don't tell me you're getting paranoid like Harry-"  
"I was busy," he simply replied with an absent voice, staring outside.  
"Busy with..." Harry suddenly turned to his girlfriend. "For your information, I am _not_ being paranoid," he said towards her before turning again to his best friend. "Busy with _what_ exactly?"

Malfoy simply shrugged as they both sat in front of him, obviously not willing to share anything about his summer activities. Harry was ready to insist, but Goyle and Crabbe's arrival prevented him from doing so. They were both laughing very loud - which usually meant that someone else was absolutely not having fun.

"What have you done again?" Harry asked him, doing his best to sound amused like he used to, although the fact that they had interrupted the discussion was getting on his nerves.  
"It's _him_," Crabbe replied as he pointed Goyle. "He locked that Longbottom guy inside the girls' bathroom. That was funny."  
"_Very_ funny," Goyle replied, as if adding 'very' in front of 'funny' was supposed to make him sound smarter than Crabbe.

Harry didn't say a word, and neither did Draco - although Harry was pretty sure he had seen his lips muttering "grow up" or something like that. Pansy, however, seemed pretty angry about it.

"Into the girls' bathroom? Why the _girls'_ bathroom?"

Goyle blinked.

"Because it's funnier?"  
"You dumbass! How am _I_ supposed to go to the bathroom if I have too?! And for that matter, how any girl is supposed to go to the bathroom if she has to, now that you smart boys locked _Longbottom_ inside?!"

Crabbe scratched his head.

"We didn't think about that," he admitted.  
"You never think about anything!"

She sighed heavily.

"Go back there and unlock the door. Lock him inside anything else if you feel like it."  
"We can't," Crabbe replied.  
"What do you _mean_ you can't?!"  
"We locked him inside with a spell and, uh, well-"  
"Lemme guess," Harry said as he rolled his green eyes. "You don't know how to _break_ the spell."  
"Predictably," Draco muttered for himself.

They both nodded, pushing Pansy a bit further in her rage.

"That's so _typical_. I'm amazed you actually managed to lock him inside instead of blowing up the door," she said. "I'm gonna have to take care of that."

She put her silver prefect badge on her purple shirt, took out her wand and headed for the girls' bathroom, shoving anyone that was in her way. Draco shot Crabbe and Goyle a glare that was clearly meant to force them to leave the compartment - and they immediately obeyed.

"Draco?"

They were alone in the compartment, but this would not last for long: as soon as Pansy would be done unlocking the door - and probably giving detention to Neville, as if it was _his_ fault - she would come back. Draco's grey eyes moved away from the landscape and he stared at him.

"Yes?"  
"Are you... are you sure you're ok?"  
"Why wouldn't I?"  
"Well... I don't know, you seem kind of... odd and you're normally never too busy to write to us."  
"I'm _fine_, Harry, don't worry."  
"You know," Harry started, "I was thinking about what you said last Christmas... you know, when I saw Bellatrix and all. So I wonder-"  
"I told you to _forget_ about that," he cut him. "I don't know why I told you these things."  
"But-"  
"Look, if _he_ gave me anything to do, then I'd-"

Again, the conversation was interrupted, this time by Pansy's return, and Draco's gaze moved back at the window in silence for the rest of the ride. He started to speak a bit more when they sat in the Great Hall to enjoy their meal after the Sorting ceremony, but Harry knew he was opening his mouth only because he felt he _had_ to. As soon as the food disappeared from the table, Draco stood up and left for the common room.

Harry wanted to follow him, but as a prefect, he had to stay with Pansy to gather the new Slytherins and make them visit the castle. Well, actually... she had much more authority on them that _he_ did, and she was the one gathering them, as he did very little but stand next to her with what he hoped to be a serious, don't-mess-with-us-but-trust-us-'cause-we're-prefects expression on his face. Nevertheless, he knew she would not forgive him for letting her alone with them, and not taking care of his duties as a prefect of Slytherin.

"First years, over here!" she said with a strong, confidence voice that made him smile.

Some people might think that she was bitchy, and that she was only a stupid attention whore who had just enough brain to stick around him and use him to look better than the others, but they were wrong. Harry thought about all these girls in his fourth year, chasing him down the corridors to ask him if he wanted to go to the Yule Ball with them, just because he was one of Hogwarts' champions. _They_ were attention whores. But Pansy, who had waited until _he_ asked so she wouldn't look like them... she was none of that.

"Harry?" she asked.

The dreamy smile vanished from his lips, and the don't-mess-with-us-we're-prefects-dammit expression was back on his face.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. Let's go."

* * *

After taking care of the first years, Harry headed straight for the dormitory. As he hoped, Draco was already there, sitting on his bed to read a book. As soon as Harry entered, however, he got rid of the book by hidding it under his pillow. That made Harry frown a little bit, but he frowned even more when he noticed how Draco was dressed. His friend usually slept while wearing only the bottom of his pajama - however, today, he was also wearing the top, which made him worry even more about him. Did he have something to hide?

"Harry, are you gonna say something, or you're just going to stare at me all night?"

Harry shook his head.

"Nothing. I was just... lost in my thoughts."

Draco didn't reply.

**End of the chapter:** Now we're getting close to the main plot! This has to be my longest introduction ever XD hope you liked it guys! (and _yes_, you can all scream like fan girls at the thought of Draco wearing only his pajama's pants!)


	8. Draco's secrets

**WhiteTigerXOXO: **He used to, but not anymore (since he has to hide the Dark Mark otherwise everyone would freak out in the dormitory). But of course you are free to imagine him anyway, as I did :P and I hope this update is quick enough for you! :)

**Author's note:** Yayyy another chapter today! I'm on fire XD I'm so inspired these days, it's coming very fast and I just keep my fingers crossed, hoping it won't change! :D

**Chapter 8: Draco's secrets**

The next morning, while Draco was changing his clothes in the dormitory's bathroom, Harry quickly walked towards his friend's bed. Draco had been very fast to hide his book from Harry's sight, and he wondered why. What kind of book could he be reading without wanting anyone to see it? His hand reached for the book under the pillow. It was a small, thin book, with a black leather cover that looked like it was five hundred years old. The golden letters that had once written its title had faded away, and were now impossible to read: Harry had to open the book to discover it.

He frowned when he watched the chapters' titles. "How to maintain your artifacts in good condition", "Repair a dark magic artifact without endangering yourself", etc. _What the..._

"What the hell are you _doing?_" Draco's voice suddenly asked, suddenly bringing him back to reality.  
"I was just..."

Harry tried to put back the book where it belonged, as if nothing had happened, but Draco quickly snapped it out his fingers.

"Putting your nose in my stuff?" Malfoy harshly suggested, as he stared to Harry with angry eyes.  
"Why do you have a book like that anyway?!"  
"It's none of your business!"

He pointed him with his pale, shaking finger, as he shot him his most threatening glare.

"I swear, Harry, if you do that again... you might be my best friend, but if you touch my things again, you'll regret it. _A lot_."

Draco put the book back under his pillow, and slammed the door behind him, leaving his friend speechless. Why would Draco need to _repair_ a broken dark magic object? It's not like he didn't have enough money to get one in perfect condition, after all. Draco Malfoy was the wealthiest person he had ever known, so why would he lose time doing this? Or maybe it was one that belonged to his father but that was broken, and he thought it was better to repair it himself instead of risking to be seen as he was procuring himself such an artifact? Or maybe it was unique and he didn't have any other choice?

He was brought back to reality by Pansy's arrival. Surprised, he moved back, and suddenly hid himself with the first thing he grabbed, namely Draco's pillow.

"Bloody hell, Pansy, don't you know how to knock on a damn door? I'm not even wearing my _pants!_"

She raised an eyebrow and laughed shortly.

"Relax. It's not like I've never seen you with only your boxers on."

A smirk creeped on her beautiful lips.

"Or even without them, for that matter."

He blushed.

"Well... _yes_, but there's a completely different context, and... and... Pansy, would you _please_ give me my pants? It's embarrassing. Really."

Pansy rolled her hazel eyes, but still threw him his uniform's pants with a smile. As she did, though, she seemed to notice something and she frowned.

"Hey, what's that?" she asked as she pointed something on Draco's bed.

Harry turned his head to see that she was pointing at the black book. She started a move to take it, but Potter immediately put the white pillow back on Draco's book.

"I don't know, but it is Draco's. You know he doesn't like it when we put our nose in his stuff."  
"Yeah, but when exactly did I start to care about it?" she asked mockingly.

She was about to put her hand under the pillow, but Harry stopped her by grabbing her wirst. If she opened that book... she would be sure to ask questions, and Harry didn't want anyone to know what was happening to Draco Malfoy.

"Don't," he said as he stared at her right in the eyes.  
"Why?" she asked, like a spoiled child being grounded by her parents.  
"Just don't, please. Would you want Draco to look into your personal things?"

Pansy sighed and took back her hand.

"All right, all right."

She paused and looked at him as he was putting his pants on.

"For that matter, why are you on Draco's bed?"  
"Just happened to be next to it and I sat when you came in."  
"And why were you next to his bed? He isn't even there!"  
"Pansy, for Merlin's sake... am I not the one that is supposed to be paranoid?" he asked as he tied his green and silver tie.  
"I'm not paranoid, I'm just curious."

Harry shook his head, although he couldn't help but smile as he did so. His girlfriend was really too curious for her own good.

* * *

From the dormitory's door, Draco silently stared at the common room. It was so late that it was dark and almost empty, although the fire was still burning. In fact, there were only two people still there: Harry and Pansy. They were sitting on a leather couch, kissing tenderly and having no idea that their friend was looking at them in jealousy. Everytime they kissed, hugged or even held their hands together in front of him, they remembered him that he didn't have_ that_. He wasn't in love with Pansy, of course: she had never been more than a friend to him, but he truly envied Harry for having someone to love.

He had never known love. Even his parents... he wasn't naive enough to believe they had married for love. He knew they had done so because it was expected of both of them to marry a Pure Blood. And it was also expected of them, especially of Lucius, to have an child so the Malfoy's name and blood would go on. Very often, Draco had asked himself if he'd be there if they hadn't needed an heir. Harry, however, had obviously been conceived in love - why else would a Pure Blood marry a Mudblood and have a child with her?

He shook his head. Now wasn't the good time to be thinking about that. It was useless to torture himself with such thoughts anyway. He had something to do, and two months had gone by already.

Draco quickly walked down the stairs, making Pansy gasp in surprise as she moved away from her boyfriend's lap, in a very I-swear-I-didn't-do-anything-mom manner. Malfoy, however, didn't even look at them as he headed straight for the common room's door.

"Drac...? Draco, wait, you aren't even _allowed_ to go out!" Pansy yelled.

Without paying attention to her, Draco left. Pansy sighed heavily and looked at Harry.

"What's wrong with him? I mean, he's so weird now..."

She tried to stand up, but Harry forced her to stay on the couch.

"No," he said. "You stay here, I'll go check on him."  
"But, Harry-" she started, but he still stood up and left the common room.

Alone, Pansy sighed heavily again.

"Am I speaking Chinese here or what?" she asked into the empty room.

Harry looked in the corridor. He had left as fast as he could, not even taking the time to grab his Invisibility Cloak, but it looked like it was still too slow, because Draco was nowhere to be seen. Well, he couldn't see Draco anymore, but he couldn't have gone very far, could he? Harry took hidden stairs - the only way for Draco to have vanished so fast from his sight. The stairs leaded him to the second floor. Harry looked around, but couldn't see anyone. He sighed, ready to give up, when he heard a noise, at the corridor's end. Could it be Draco?

He walked quickly towards the noise, but stopped in the middle of the hallway when he heard that it was someone _crying_ in the bathroom. He sighed and turned back. It was surely Moaning Myrtle, and he didn't want to be noticed by her, and then forced to listen to her complaints about her death and how everyone was so _horrible_ with her. He had no idea where his friend was, and was left with no other choice than going back to his common room.

On his way back to Slytherin's common room, Harry stopped again as he heard a noise into what was supposed to be an empty classroom. Just in case, he took his magic wand before carefully opening the door. He couldn't see anything in the darkness, so he muttered:

"_Lumos_."

The bright, silver light showed him what was going on in the classroom. Unfortunately, it had nothing to do with Draco: he had just scared the hell out of two Ravenclaws that, thirty seconds ago, were making out, hidden in what they had believed to be a safe place, away from anyone's eyes. They gasped in surprise when they saw Harry, and the boy quickly reached for his missing shirt. Their cheeks were bright red.

"Oh, come _on_," Harry said harshly, very disappointed that it wasn't his friend. "Out of your common room in the middle of the night for _this?_ I'm giving you one week of detention, that'll learn you to break the curfew. And go back to your common room _now_, dammit!"

Before giving them any change to protest - because they would protest, of course, as his punishment was a bit excessive - he slammed the door and looked around. That didn't change the fact that he still had no idea where his best friend had disappeared.

* * *

Into the girls' bathroom, Myrtle was kneeling on the floor, but - for a change - she wasn't the one crying. It was the person sitting next to her who was crying, his knees against his shaking chest and his pale face hidden behind his hands.

"Don't cry," she said with a voice that, instead of being annoying, was soft and comforting. "Please, don't - you're so handsome, don't cry like that-"  
"Whatever I look like," he managed to reply, "I'm... I can't take it..."

The ghost tried to caress his blond hair in a attempt to comfort him, but when she remembered of her condition, she took back her hand.

"I have to do this but I can't... I just _can't_... I-I'm not like them! I'm not like my father, I'm not like Bellatrix either! But if I _don't_ then I'm dead..."

Draco could hardly believe he was actually there, sitting on the wet bathroom's floor, crying and confessing his fears to Moaning Myrtle, the most annoying ghost in the entire castle. But he felt like he was constantly on the verge of breaking down, and, oddly, she was the only one he was able to speak to. If he told this to Pansy, or even to Harry... then he'd lose them for sure, and he didn't want to see them turning their backs on him. They were the only thing that prevented him from jumping off the Astronomy tower right away.

"You know," Myrtle started, "If you really die, well then... maybe you could haunt this place with me?"

Somehow, her comment made him smile a bit. Maybe it was weird, but it was true: it was the most comforting thing he had heard in a long time.

**End of the chapter:** On the count of three, let's give Draco a massive hug! One... two... three! *runs towards him to give him a big hug*


	9. Burned flesh

**jackiieee:** Thanks! I'll try my best ;)

**huh:** She's on her merry way to Draco, don't worry.

**Oh-so FANTABULOUS ME:** Oh, but they will they together, don't you worry. I love this pairing waaay too much to forget about it ;)

**LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL:** Thank you very much!

**sweet-tang-honney:** Thanks :)

**Author's note (if you do not want a spoiler then skip right to the chapter):** I see that people are asking me more and more often about how long it will take for Dramione to take place. I understand your impatience - I can, too, be an impatient reader and I tend to be an impatient writer too. So just to make sure you don't worry about it anymore: Hermione will appear at the beginning of the seventh year. Including the chapter I'm giving you today, there will be about two more chapters without Hermione. As I said, I tend to be an impatient writer and I decided to refrain myself from putting them together right at the beginning (like I usually do), but for the sake of this story, I have to wait until I've done what I wanted to Draco before Dramione takes place... but this is as hard for me than it is for you, believe me XD

**Chapter 9: Burned flesh**

Harry thought it was amazing how little people seemed to care about Draco's condition. Of course, Crabbe and Goyle were so stupid that even if their respective IQ were somehow put together in someone's brain, that person would hardly be able to perform a correct Wingardium Leviosa, but he had expected smarter people like Blaise Zabini to at least try to ask questions. Besides Harry, only Pansy had noticed that something was wrong about him, but Harry did everything he could to keep her away from it.

Draco was obviously _not_ doing fine, whatever he could pretend when Harry or Pansy asked him how he felt. Harry had noticed that his friend's skin was more pale that it had ever been, and, as time was going by, he seemed more and more exhausted. Whatever he was doing at night, he was certainly not sleeping: often, Harry had waken up in the middle of the night, only to find out that his friend had left his bed. Harry had no idea where his friend was going or doing, and he didn't dare to ask. When he was doing his prefect patrols in the corridors, he was actually looking more for Draco than he was looking for people breaking Hogwarts' rules.

One winter night, he had been told to watch over the second floor. His silver badge shining in the moonlight, he entered Myrtle's bathroom. It was a very unpleasant place, but he had to check it anyway, since it could be a perfect place for people to do forbidden things - especially in the middle of the night. He just kept his fingers crossed so the famous ghost wouldn't be there, or that she would not notice his presence.

"I'm coming!" Moaning Myrtle's voice said.

Harry sighed. Dammit. However, her voice sounded surprisingly happy: maybe he wouldn't have to endure fifteen minutes of "People are so _mean!_ It's terrible!" Myrtle stopped in the middle of the air, staring at him. She pouted and caressed her dark hair.

"Oh. It's just _you_," she said.

Harry frowned.

"What? Were you expecting someone?"

She nodded.

"Yes," she replied. "A boy comes here to see me sometimes. He's a sweetheart, and he's so lonely and sad! His family, they're _horrible_... he has no one but me."  
"A boy? You mean another ghost, right?"  
"No," she replied, as if the question was very insulting. "He's _alive_. Why do you people think that only a ghost could love another ghost?!"  
"He's in love with you?"  
"Well," she replied, "Maybe not exactly, but he _likes_ me. He's like you, you know. Just much more polite and more handsome."

Myrtle smiled dreamingly.

"Oh, yes, he's so _beautiful_..."  
"Wait, Myrtle... you said he was like me? What do you mean, like me?"

She shrugged.

"Well, he's as tall as you, and he wears the same uniform as you do. But he looks way better than you, and his _face_... although he cries a lot, he looks like an angel..."

Harry blinked. A tall Slytherin boy who looked like an angel? There was only one person who would fit this description.

"Myrtle... are you saying... is it _Draco Malfoy?_"

She stared at him with anger.

"It's none of your business! Why do you want to know? You'd mock him if it was him? Well I won't tell _you!_ Go away!"

But she was the one to leave, diving right into a broken sink. Harry remained there for a while, completely speechless. His stomach hurt a lot at the thought of his friend crying here, with no one else to comfort him that Moaning Myrtle. But, if this was true, then it meant... it meant Draco didn't _want_ to do it, and that Harry still had a chance at saving his best friend.

* * *

Later this week, when Draco left his bed in the middle of the night, he had no idea he was followed by an invisible Harry. Harry did his best not to make noise while he was walking, although it was unecessary: Draco was so lost in his thoughts that he wouldn't even realise it if he was being followed by a giant mounted on a dragon.

Once he reached his destination - Myrtle's bathroom - he stared at his reflection in the cracked mirror.

"You can do it," he whispered to himself. "This his nothing, really... you won't even... you won't even see _him_..."

Under the Cloak, Harry frowned. What was he talking about? Draco put his shaking hand in his pocket, and took out a small box. He opened it and stared at its content, away from Harry's sight. When he looked back at the mirror with his teary grey eyes, his voice had lost any trace of confidence:

"No, I can't..."

Harry bit his bottom lip, feeling that his friend was truly on the verge of breaking down. To confirm his thoughts, a first tear went down his incredibly pale cheek, and he finally bursted into tears. It was even more unbearable to Harry than seeing Narcissa on her knees, or seeing the sadness in his friend's eyes while he confessed his fears of ending up as a Death Eater. Now, he could feel everything - fear, pain, despair, anger, angst, _everything_. He also felt extremely guilty for spying on his best friend like that, at such a terrible moment. Harry walked back - he wanted to leave the bathroom and pretend he had never seen this - but he put his foot right into a big puddle of water, creating a "splash" noise that made Draco turn around, his wand in the air.

"Who's there?" he asked, his whole body shaking. "Who the hell's there? Whoever you are, I swear I'm gonna-"  
"It's me."

Harry took out the Invisibility Cloak and bobbed down.

"Harry? What are you doing here?"

Draco's fingers were shaking so much that his magic wand fell on the wet floor.

"Draco... Draco, I _know_ everything. I know what Vol... I mean, You-Know-Who has asked you."  
"How the..." he started, but then he understood. "Mother..."

She was the only person to know that could've told Harry. Bellatrix was way too loyal to the Dark Lord to disobey, and his father was not in a position to do anything against Voldemort's will. Harry nodded to confirm his thoughts.

"Draco, please, listen to me-"  
"No, _you're_ going to listen to me!" Draco yelled.

His voice echoed in the bathroom.

"Are you here to preach on me? Do you think I _want_ to do this, do you think I _want_ to be like that?"  
"If you don't want, then don't do it! It's as simple as that, Draco!"  
"It's easier said than done! You have no idea what you're talking about, Harry. Your father's not a Death Eater, your aunt isn't either! Your whole goddamn family tree isn't filled up with them! I was condamned the day I was born, do you get that? My destiny has been sealed for over sixteen years!"  
"No one's destiny is sealed," Harry replied. "You have the choice. We always-"  
"You really don't get it! Do you think you can just say _no_ to the Dark Lord? Like he's going to take no for a answer! Do you think I could just have refused when he stood before me, asking me to kill Albus Dumbledore, with Bellatrix watching at me? Hell no!"

He quickly unbuttonned the button on his left sleeve, and then pulled the white sleeve up, uncovering what Harry had feared the most: the Dark Mark, black and threatening, on his best friend's pale forearm. His green eyes looked away: for some reason, he could no stand it at all.

"I've got no choice!" Draco said with a broken voice.

Malfoy then noticed that Harry had turned his head on the side.

"Don't you look away!" he yelled. "You can't stand it for thirty seconds? I stand it _every_ day! I stare at it for hours, but no matter how long I stare, it won't go away! _LOOK AT IT!_ It's burned down my flesh, and it will never disappear. _Never_. I'm stuck with it for the rest of my life."

Harry looked at the infamous Mark, and then stared at Draco right into the eyes.

"I won't let you," he whispered. "I won't let you become a murderer, and I won't let you die either."

Malfoy stared at him in disbelief, and pulled down his left sleeve. He quickly took back the box and his wand.

"It's too late for me, Harry," he replied with a bitter voice. "Miracles don't happen."

Draco left the bathroom.

"Dracooooooo?"

It was Myrtle's voice. She frowned when she saw Harry.

"_You_ again? I thought I told you to go away! I thought I heard Draco... I wanted to comfort him... but it was only _you_."  
"He was there," Harry replied as he took back his Invisibility Cloak.  
"And he left?" she asked.

Harry rolled his eyes.

"Obviously," he said. "Say... did he ever tell you why he was so sad?"  
"This is none of your business!"  
"I'm his best friend, Myrtle, I'm only trying to help! Please, if you really like Draco-"  
"He trusts me, I won't betray him! I will bring his secrets into my tomb if I have to!"  
"Myrtle... you're _already_ dead."

She gasped and hid her mouth behind her hand.

"How _dare_ you... you're so mean and rude! I _hate_ you!" she yelled with an incredibly high voice.

She dove into a toilet bowl, splashing water all over the place.

"Myrtle, wait! Come back! I'm sorry, please come back!"

Harry received no answer. He sighed heavily.

"_Great_," he said into the empty place before disappearing under his Cloak.

**End of the chapter:** That was my favourite scene in HP6, so sad... until Harry attacked Draco XD I hope you liked my version of this epic moment for any Draco fan!


	10. Tainted soul

**sweet-tang-honney:** Thanks :)

**milarepa:** I don't want to sound mean or anything, but (I see you reviewed at chapter one, so I take it that you didn't read the others, and were speaking only about this one) Harry being "OOC" is actually the whole point of this story (which, do I have to remember you, is AU so I don't think OOC really applies here): as he decides to become Draco's friend instead of Ron's, his personnality changes because he must adapt to Slytherin, an environnement that is very different from Gryffindor. He wants to make friends there and be accepted by the other students.

**LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL:** Thanks ^^ I'm glad you loved my version of the famous Sectumsempra scene (well, although the name doesn't really apply because there is no Sectumsempra, but "bathroom scene" sounded kinda wrong XD)

**Author's note:** Feel free to listen to "Malfoy's mission" from HP6's OST while reading this, of course. Such a magnificent piece of music that fits Draco so perfectly.

**Chapter 10: Tainted soul**

The dormitory was dark and silent, but Draco was wide awake. He was laying on his bed with his clothes on, staring at the ceiling with an empty glare. Tomorrow would be the last day of the year at Hogwarts, which meant that he would've reached his deadline - litterally. He _had_ to do it. The Death Eaters were on their way to Diagon Alley, and from there, they would be able to enter the school, thanks to the cabinet he had managed to repair during the year. They would be there very soon, and with the Death Eaters inside the castle, Dumbledore's death was now unavoidable.

There was no turning back now. It had to happen tonight, or else... or else, he would die. It was as simple as that. And, when given the choice between Dumbledore's life and his own... he would pick his life, of course. Draco slowly, deeply breathed in, and then breathed out. None of his others ideas had succeeded, and he was left with one last - and surely foolish - alternative: to kill the headmaster in a duel.

Malfoy stood up and silently walked towards Harry's bed. His friend was sleeping, like probably everyone else in the school, but he needed to borrow something that was in his possession - without asking him, of course. Carefully, he searched into Harry's luggage, until he finally found what he was looking for: the Invisibility Cloak. He immediately hid behind it.

* * *

He was running up the stairs, panting in the silence of the night. The Astronomy tower was damn high, but this wasn't going to stop him. When Draco finally reached the top of the castle's highest tower, his fingers tightened around his magic wand. He had been repeating this moment in his head for over two weeks now, and the plan seemed perfect - except the fact that he would end up as a murderer - but still, he couldn't cast the spell. As soon as the Dark Mark would appear in the sky, he would have no choice but to do it. Draco shook his head.

He _never_ had a choice to begin with. If he had, then he wouldn't be standing there.

He raised his wand in the air, and, after a second or two, Voldemort's symbol appeared ontop of the tower. The trap was set. Although he was already invisible, Draco moved back in the darkest corner of the room.

Now, all he had to do was wait until Dumbledore rushed to the tower.

As Draco had planned, it took only a few minutes for the headmaster to arrive, lightening the way with his wand. _Alone?_ At least, no one would see what he was about to do. Not that it mattered much now. Draco made one step forward, took out Harry's Cloak, and yelled:

"_Expelliarmus!_"

Dumbledore's magic wand was thrown in the airs, and the magic light immediately went off. Draco kept his wand pointed on his. Oddly, although the headmaster had just been attacked in the dark by one of his students and was now disarmed, he didn't seem surprised or afraid. Instead, he just smiled kindly to him.

"Ah, Draco... have you truly chosen to do it their way?" he asked softly.

* * *

Meanwhile, Pansy was shaking her boyfriend in his bed.

"Harry, please wake up! Wake _up,_ dammit, it's important!"

He slowly managed to open an emerald eye.

"What?" he muttered.  
"I was patrolling in the corridors, and I saw... _I saw the Dark Mark in the sky!_ Up the Astronomy tower!"

_That_ woke him up. He immediately sat.

"What?!"  
"It saw it, I swear! This means... the Dark Lord... the Death Eaters... they're here... they must've killed someone or-"  
"Draco," Harry whispered for himself as he reached for his wand.

He quickly put on a random shirt and whatever pants he grabbed.

"What do you mean, Draco? Draco is _not_ a Death Eater!"

Harry wanted to take his Invisibility Cloak, but it was nowhere to be found. Draco had probably taken it, which meant he had very little time, if it wasn't already too late. The Dark Mark... it could mean that Dumbledore was dead, but there was still a slight possibility that it was only a trap to lure the headmaster in the Astronomy tower. Albus Dumbledore would sure rush up there as soon as he would see the Mark or hear about it.

"You're right, he's not. Trust me, Pansy, he's not."

He opened the door.

"Wait, Harry, where are you going?"  
"To the Astronomy tower," he replied.  
"Are you _insane?_"

But he didn't listen to her: he was already running towards the common room's exit. She sighed, and ran after him.

* * *

"Your best friend's Invisibility Cloak?" Dumbledore asked calmly. "I didn't expect that - athough being a thief must be the last thing you're worrying about right now, am I right, Draco?"  
"You're going to tell me you expected me to be here? You expected me to Disarm you?"  
"Yes."

Draco snorted in disbelief.

"Draco, the Dark Mark... who did you kill?"  
"No one," he answered as he shrugged.

His hand clenched even more firmly on his wand to prevent it from shaking.

"No one _yet_," he completed.  
"Do not do this, Draco. It isn't worth it. Put down your wand."

Draco's mouth twisted in what was meant to be a smirk.

"Are you begging me?!"  
"No," the headmaster replied. "I just want you to understand. I know you are afraid, I know you feel lost. Voldemort is sure very good at making threats... but Voldemort isn't worth sacrificing your life."  
"You don't get it, I have to do this! If _you_ don't die tonight, then _I_'ll die! The Dark Lord will kill me!"  
"Disobeying to Voldemort does not mean you are going to die. You can be protected. Trust me. I am at the head of an organisation, we have means to protect you... if you fear for your family, we can protect them too-"  
"Shut UP! You're just trying to mess up with my mind!"  
"It is Voldemort who messed up with your mind, Draco, not me."

The door was slammed opened, and Harry, out of breath, entered the room. Dumbledore smiled to him.

"Ah, Harry. I'm glad you showed up before Draco destroyed a life."  
"Just because he's there doesn't mean I won't kill you! I can do it in front of him, I don't care - you're not safe just because he-"  
"Oh, but I wasn't talking about _my_ life," Dumbledore interrupted. "I was talking about yours, much more precious and promising than mine."  
"Draco... Draco, please... give me your wand," Harry said with a shaking voice.

Potter moved his opened hand towards his friend.

"Go away, Harry. It's my problem, not yours."  
"It _is_ my bloody problem if my best friend becomes a murderer! Draco, Dumbledore's right, there is no need for you to do this!"

Draco's pointed chin started to shake as well as his right hand, as if he was about to cry.

"Look at Bellatrix, look at your father! You don't want to be like them, do you? Cold and heartless? Is this what you truly want? You told me yourself, you don't want it, so _give me your wand_."

Harry took one step forward.

"Like father, like son," Malfoy said with a tone that was both ironic and sad. "Isn't it what they say?"  
"Just because people around you are Death Eaters doesn't mean you have to take the same path! Your father made a choice, so what? The hell with it! Make _yours!_"  
"It's too late, Harry," Draco muttered with a low, incredibly sad voice.

Harry shook his head. He refused to believe that it was too late for his best friend to be saved.

"It's not! You've done nothing that can't be changed for now, but if you do it... if you kill Dumbledore tonight... then it's truly over."  
"It's too late," Draco repeated. "Death Eaters are on their way to the castle... maybe they're already there."

Pansy finally reached the room too. She gasped in horror when she saw Draco pointing his wand at Dumbledore. She tried to run towards her friend, but Harry forced her to stay behind him.

"This can be repaired," Dumbledore said. "They can be stopped if the teachers are warned right now."

Harry took a deep breath, still holding Pansy so she wouldn't run at Draco.

"Draco, listen to me... I know you, I know you're not a murderer... give me your wand, please..."  
"What?" he asked with a suddenly harsh voice. "Do you think I'm a coward? I'm not! I can do it if I want to!"

Again, Harry sadly shook his head.

"This is what you think? That killing someone has anything to do with courage? Do you sincerly believe... do you really think that Voldemort was being brave the night he tried to kill me when I was a _baby? _No way, Draco! He acted as the worst coward ever!"

Draco slightly bobbed down, and Harry could swear he had seen his right hand lowering his wand... but then, three other people entered the Astronomy tower: Greyback, Bellatrix and Lucius. Draco immediately raised his wand back at Dumbledore.

Bellatrix arched an eyebrow and nodded in appreciation, while Lucius seemed slightly impressed by his only son.

"Well done, Draco," she whispered to her nephew's ear before giving a small peck on his neck. "I knew you could do it... the Dark Lord knew it, too..."  
"Ah, Bellatrix," Dumbledore said. "And Lucius. A family meeting, I see. I'm almost embarrassed to interrupt."  
"I'd love to chat with you all night long, Albus," Bellatrix carelessly replied. "But I'm afraid your life expectancy had just been drastically lowered. Alone, and without your wand? The headmaster cornered in his own school... beautifully ironic, don't you think?"

She smirked mockingly at him, and then looked at Draco, whose entire body was tense.

"When you're done savouring the moment... _do it_."  
"Draco," started Harry.

Draco's whole body was trembling. If only he had lowered his wand before... maybe he would've been saved, but now... now that they were here... his father, his aunt, and that werewolf he had always hated so much...

"He doesn't have the guts to do it," Greyback mockingly said. "He's a whimp, just like his father. I'll be taking care of that by myself."

Lucius' cold voice snapped in the air like a whip:

"Who are you calling a whimp? Watch your tongue, werewolf!"

Greyback walked towards the headmaster, but Bellatrix stopped him.

"Stay back! The Dark Lord's orders are clear, Draco must do it himself! Come oooon, Draco! Do it _now_, we don't have all night!"

Draco remained still for a short moment, and then stared at Dumbledore. He raised his wand in a circular motion.

"Draco, no!" Pansy yelled.  
"_Avada Kedavra!_"

The Killing Curse hit the headmaster right in the chest, throwing him up in the airs. Pansy gasped in horror, and hid her face in her boyfriend's shoulder as Dumbledore's body disappeared through the tower's window. Harry felt her tears on his cold skin, but when Bellatrix grabbed Draco's hand and forced him to follow him down the stairs, his fingers clenched in a fist, and he raised his wand towards Lucius and Greyback.

"_You_," he started with his most threatening voice.

The two remaining Death Eaters, however, didn't bother fighting him - as they weren't even allowed to -, and they ran behind Bellatrix and her nephew in the stairs. Harry ran behind them.

"Harry, no! Come back here, don't-"

Harry didn't listen to her and kept running. He had to save Draco. Because he had seen something that had gone unnoticed by Pansy, the others Death Eaters and perhaps by Dumbledore himself: before Draco raised his wand to cast the Killing Curse on the headmaster, Bellatrix had slightly moved her own wand in his back. _She_ had killed Dumbledore - or, to be more specific, she had forced Draco to do so. Harry chased them down the corridors and down the park, not paying attention to the battle and the spells flying around him: catching them up and helping Draco was the only thing he cared about for now.

To slow him down, Bellatrix was aimlessly throwing spells over her shoulder as she ran. She missed her target many times, although Harry had to dive on the ground or jump aside to avoid some of her spells that came dangerously close to him. She looked hysterical: she was laughing cruelly and destroying everything that she could on her way. When Harry was running down the park and saw Hagrid's house full of flames, he had no doubt that she had done it, but he also didn't have any minute to waste taking care of that.

Despite the fact that she took the time to destroy so many things around her, when he finally reached them, it was too late: Bellatrix and Draco had stepped outside Hogwarts' gates, followed by Lucius. Harry figured that Greyback had stayed behind just to enjoy the battle even more. Harry looked at her, eyes full of hate, but she was hidding herself behind Draco and he could not cast any spell without risking to injure his friend instead. She gave him her most cunning smile, knowing that she had won: no one could Apparate inside of Hogwarts, but as soon as one crossed the gates, then, he was free to use this ability.

"We'll be back for you within a year, Potter," she said before Disapparating along with her nephew and brother-in-law.  
"I'll be waiting for you!" he yelled back at Bellatrix, even though he knew she could not hear him.

**End of the chapter:** I was really looking forward to write this scene (yes, you read me right, there are scenes I can't wait to write although they are already written in my head - oh well, I might be crazy, who knows?). I hope you enjoyed reading it! _Yes_ you want Dramione Hermione's coming in the next chapter I swear it on Draco's head!


	11. McGonagall's surprise

**ajerickson21:** Thanks, finally someone who isn't so anxious about Hermione's arrival ^^ I'm actually glad Dumbledore's scene didn't go as you expected, since it means I managed to surprise you. I'm very curious though, what did you plan? Did you think I was going to spare Dumbledore? I wanted to kill him by Draco's hand since the beginning, although I hesitated a lot about who should be putting him under the Imperius Curse to force him to murder Dumbledore: at the beginning I wanted it to be Bellatrix, and then I changed for Lucius, but I finally decided that it should be Bellatrix :)

**lucyferr: **Thanks ^^ I hope Pansy is good enough for you (at least for now). I'm taking some liberties since she is so under-developped in the books! Hermione's coming, I hope I won't get her wrong ^^ (but it should be ok, she's my favourite character in the trio)

**: **Thank you for this nice review! It's always a pleasure to see that I managed to catch someone up in my story hehe :)

**jessirose85:** Indeed, this is your first review, and a nice one - thanks!

**sweet-tang-honney:** Thank you :)

**xxkandyangelxx:** Poor Malfoy indeed - and things will not really get better for him, at least not now. I'm glad you like it! :D

**Author's note:** Hey guys, sorry for being late, this chapter's been ready for days but I had troubles uploading it... I hope you'll still like it ^^

**Chapter 11: McGonagall's surprise**

Harry had managed to convince Vernon and Petunia to let him spend his summer with his girlfriend, under the threat that he would ask the Malfoy to come and pick him up like they did few years ago if they didn't allow him to go directly to Pansy's house. Quite obviously, he would have been unable to do so: Lucius would never agree to help him now that Voldemort was back, and Narcissa was very unlikely to be willing to do so too. But, _of course_, the Dursley didn't need to know that kind of details, did they?

Pansy's family lived in a mansion, like Draco's. However, it didn't seem as big and wealthy as the Malfoy mansion, but it was very beautiful and much less severe and cold.

"How did you convince your Muggles?" Pansy asked as they entered her empty manor. "I thought it was almost jail for you there."

She always called them "your Muggles" as if they belonged to him or anything like that. That put a small smile on his lips everytime.

"It usually is," he replied. "But I told them I'd ask the Malfoy's help to bring me here if they didn't let me."

She frowned.

"And?"  
"And they are very scared of any wizard. I swear, they'd hide behind the couch in front of _Longbottom_ if he waved a wand. And, of course, the first time they met, Uncle Vernon thought that calling Mr. Malfoy his 'pal' and 'freak show' was a good idea, and Mrs. Malfoy cursed him as a punishment. My aunt said he was unable to walk for over a week. That didn't cure them from their fear of magic."

Pansy sighed and bobbed down.

"Horrible parents," she whispered. "No wonder Draco..."

She shook her head and then lowered it even more. She had managed to keep everything inside in the Hogwarts Express, where people could've seen her breaking down, but now that they were truly alone, she couldn't hold it inside anymore. When she spoke again, her voice was broken and shaking:

"How didn't we notice that something was wrong with him? Weren't we supposed to be his friends? We should've seen... we should've seen that Draco had become a Death Eater! I-I'm supposed to be smart and you're supposed to be the closest person to him and-"

Harry dropped his luggage in the middle of the hall and took her face between his warm hands. He noticed that her cheeks were wet with tears, and he wiped them away with his thumbs.

"Draco is not a Death Eater," he said with a calm voice.  
"Of course he is! Why else would he kill Dumbledore, right in front of us?! Why else would he-"  
"He didn't do it."

She stared at him as if he was the craziest guy she had ever seen - which was probably not very far from the truth.

"Harry, don't be foolish... I mean, you were there too, we saw him! There is no need to-"  
"Pansy, look at me now."

She moved her teary hazel eyes up towards his face.

"Draco _did_ _not_ kill Albus Dumbledore," he said slowly and firmly. "I saw Bellatrix pointing her wand at him just before he casted the Avada Kedavra. She forced him to do it, I'd bet my own life on it. She put the Imperius Curse on him."

Pansy shook her head.

"Harry, don't lie... I mean I like him a lot, he's my friend too you know! But just because he's my friend doesn't mean I will deny and try to find him excuses and-"  
"I'm not trying to find him excuses, I really saw Bellatrix moving her wand towards him. Trust me, Draco never wanted to kill Dumbledore."  
"You promise this isn't a lie to make me feel better?" she asked in a shaking voice.

Harry kissed her pale forehead.

"I swear, Pansy."

The more he thought about it, the more true it seemed: Draco had killed Dumbledore only because Bellatrix had forced him to do so.

"But why would she do this?" Pansy asked.  
"Because Draco couldn't, but still, Draco was the one that was meant to do it," Harry replied. "Bellatrix saw that he wouldn't do it, she saw that Greyback was about to lose patience and kill Dumbledore by himself... she trained Draco for this, you know. If he had failed to kill Dumbledore, she probably would've been punished by Voldemort too."

Pansy grimaced.

"All right, by _You-Know-Who_."  
"She'd lie to the Dark Lord like that? You're talking about Bellatrix Lestrange, here, not any Death Eater. She's a crazy fanatic."  
"I know. I guess it's not technically lying to him, since Draco killed him. Sort of."

She started at him in silence for a short while, with suspicious eyes.

"What?" he asked.  
"You _knew_," she realised.

She moved back.

"You knew it, didn't you? For Draco and Dumbledore?"

Harry sighed. He had known this moment would come, but still wished that it would be avoided - somehow.

"Yes," he admitted.  
"Since when?"  
"Since July."  
"_What?!_"  
"Don't yell at me! Mrs. Malfoy came to me in the middle of a night, all right? She Apparated in my bedroom while I was asleep, I almost die of a heart attack when she woke me up! And she told me... she told me Draco had been given a mission by You-Know-Who, the mission to kill Dumbledore. She also told me that that it wasn't a real mission, You-Know-Who didn't want Draco to succeed. Draco was meant to fail and die, either trying or as a punishment for failure. He wasn't expected to be successful in killing Dumbledore."  
"It makes no sense, Harry," Pansy replied as she shook her head in disbelief. "Why would he lose time asking Draco to do it if he thought he'd never be able to succeed? And, more importantly, why the heck would You-Know-Who do everything to kill the only heir of two Pure Blood families such as the Black and the Malfoy? The Dark Lord believes in the pure blood's superiority, and those two families have always supported him, he has no reason to bring their heir to death."  
"Because it had nothing to do with _Draco_," Harry explained. "And this is where you're wrong. Mr. Malfoy was one of the first to turn his back on You-Know-Who, and giving this impossible mission to Draco was the only way for him to punish Mr. Malfoy's disloyalty. According to Mrs. Malfoy, the death of his only son and heir would be one of the few things he could never forgive himself. I guess such a punishment was worth endengering the future of the Malfoy's name and blood for him. I mean I have a hard time believing it, it doesn't sound that bad to me, but-"  
"I don't," Pansy said. "If you were a Pure Blood, you'd understand. No offence of course. It's very cruel on a psychological point of view to punish Draco's father like this. Just killing him is not fun enough for the Dark Lord, and he probably still needs him on his side. The pain caused by the Cruciatus Curse disappears eventually. But being the one that put a bloodline to its end... it never disappears."  
"I guess so. Pansy..."

Harry bobbed down.

"Mrs. Malfoy didn't come all the way to my bedroom just to tell me that. She also... she asked me to save Draco. She _begged_ me to do so, and I promised I would. I told her I would prevent him to die or to become a murderer... I failed. I was unable to help him."  
"You did not," Pansy replied.

Harry frowned and stared at her. She gave him a small smile.

"Draco didn't kill anyone, did he? And, as far as we know, he isn't dead."  
"Bellatrix forced him to leave with her. She Disapparated with him right in front of me, she probably brought him back to Voldemort."

For once, Pansy didn't react upon hearing Voldemort's name.

"And Voldemort is probably going to punish him or force him to work for him. Either way I will have failed to fulfill my promise to Mrs. Malfoy and myself."  
"Maybe not. Draco could always run away and hide."  
"Hide _where?_" Harry asked. "He can't even go back home. His father and Bellatrix are both there."  
"To Hogwarts," Pansy replied. "It's the safest place in the world with Gringotts. And since I don't picture him hiding himself in his family's vault in Gringotts, then Hogwarts would be the best choice."  
"_Yes_," Harry started, "But may I remember you that for everyone except us, Draco and Bellatrix Lestrange, Draco killed Albus Dumbledore? He may have been a bit crazy, but Hogwarts loved him. People there won't forgive what he did, he can't go back there."  
"Draco will find a way," Pansy said with a confident tone.

Harry didn't replied. He hoped she was right, of course: seeing his best friend well and alive was probably the best thing that could happen to him right now, but he wasn't as sure as Pansy that it was going to happen - especially in Hogwarts.

* * *

Finally, they were back at Hogwarts for their last year. And, predictably... Draco wasn't there. Pansy seemed very disappointed. Harry, even if he wouldn't admit it and had simply said "I told you so", was disappointed too. Somehow, he had hoped that his friend would manage to find a way to escape from Voldemort and hide there. Harry shook his head for himself. Escaping from Voldemort. _Yeah right..._

"As always," McGonagall said at the end of the dinner, "Students of each house have the honour to be prefects, and the duty to make sure everyone follows the rules. And please, _do_ follow them. Do not break the curfew, especially not after the events that occured last year. We all know that You-Know-Who is back, and, unfortunately, we all know that his Death Eaters have proven themselves to be able to enter the castle. So remember that rules are not there to annoy you: they are there to _protect_ you. This year, the prefects of each house are, for Gryffindor, Ronald Weasley and Lavander Brown. For Hufflepuff..."

Pansy bent over the table to speak to Harry:

"I wonder who's gonna be Head Boy. I mean we've seen Granger at the prefect meeting but there was no Head Boy with her..."  
"Dunno," Harry replied. "It isn't me, that's for sure. I would know."  
"For the love of Slytherin... don't tell me that she picked _only_ that Mudblood!"  
"And, for Slytherin, Harry Potter and Pansy Parkinson."

They both stood up as the students from their house cheered for them.

"These eight students will be supervised by the Head Boy and the Head Girl. This year, Hermione Granger will be your Head Girl..."

The Gryffindor girl stood up and blushed as her table applauded loudly.

"And," she continued as she took a step backward, "Your Head Boy will be..."

The door behind her opened and people in the Great Hall started to murmur even more than the day of Harry's Sorting Ceremony. Pale skin, incredible blond hair, tall and slender...

"Holy _SHIT!_" Pansy's piercing voice said over the whispers. "I-I mean... Merlin's beard!"  
"Miss Parkinson, you are a _prefect_," McGonagall said as she stared at her in disapprobation. "Please refrain yourself from using such a language. As I was going to say before you all started to whisper around and before Miss Parkinson started to have a bad mouth, your Head Boy this year will be-"  
"Draco," Harry muttered for himself as he looked at his best friend.

How was it possible?

"What the hell?" a boy next to him murmured to another one. "He's a Death Eater!"  
"I know, he killed Dumbledore, he shouldn't even be here! What the fuck is she thinking?"  
"Draco did not kill Dumbledore," Harry replied as he shot them a severe glare. "And if you say that again, you'll both be getting detention for _so_ long you that when it's over, you won't even remember _why_ you got detention to begin with."  
"Harry!" Pansy said.  
"What? I don't care if this is taking advantage of my position, these jerks-"  
"No, that's not what I meant. The new students, Harry."  
"Oh."

She was right. Although he just wanted to run at Draco and ask him what has been going on and why he was there, they had to take care of the new Slytherin - even if, like the two years before, it was actually Pansy who was taking care of them. Harry watched over his shoulder as they were gathering the youngest of their house, and saw the new headmistress leaving with Draco and Hermione.

* * *

Minerva McGonagall sat behind her desk, right under Dumbledore's huge portrait. The magic portrait briefly looked at the Head Boy and the Head Girl, nodded in appreciation, and then his blue eyes stared gently at McGonagall. Hermione and Draco were both standing in front of her, and while Malfoy was apparently very calm, Hermione seemed pretty nervous.

"Usually," Minerva started, "The headmaster meets the Head Boy and Head Girl only to explain them their tasks and give them the password to their common room. This year, well... it's a bit different."

She stared at the Gryffindor girl.

"Miss Granger, you have been chosen to be Head Girl because you are among the brightest and most talented students this school has ever known."

Hermione blushed.

"Don't," McGonagall said when she noticed it. "You should be proud of yourself, and I'm sure that one day, I will be proud to say that I've had the privilege to be your teacher. Mr. Malfoy..."

She stared at him directly in the eyes.

"Although you have _also_ proven yourself to be one of the best students of your house, and surely a very skilled young wizard, I did not name you Head Boy because of your marks. I think you already know it, but Miss Granger has the right to know: you are Head Boy because I could not let you sleep among the students of your house. We both know that some Slytherin are sons and daughters of Death Eaters, and I fear that this situation could be dangerous for you, given the circonstances."  
"Thank you," he simply replied with his usual careless voice.  
"Actually, professor McGonagall," Hermione started with an embarrassed voice. "I understand what you say, but what about _my_ safety? I mean... it's not that I don't give a damn about Malfoy, but-"  
"You are perfectly safe, Miss Granger."

She frowned.

"But... last year..."  
"What seems to be," Dumbledore's portrait started with a mysterious tone, "Might not necessarly be true. Just because it looks like he murdered someone does not mean he actually did it."

Hermione frowned even more and stared at Draco. Did that mean that he hadn't really killed Albus Dumbledore? For some reason, she wanted to believe it. It was hard to think of Draco Malfoy as a murderer. He just didn't look like he had _that _in him. Oh, of course, he was many bad things: he was annoying, he was a bully, a coward, an elitist, etc.

"_However_," McGonagall continued, "This does _not_ mean that you don't have to do your job. You are expected to take care of your duties as a Head Boy. You must organize the prefects meetings and patrols with Miss Granger."  
"I will."  
"Perfect," she replied. "This year, the password to the Head Boy and Head Girl common room is..."

She looked at a parchment and smiled.

"Equilibrium. Quite interesting. For your own safety, I highly suggest you keep that password to yourself."

* * *

After explaining them all of their responsabilities, McGonagall finally let them leave for their appartments, ontop of the West tower.

"Great," Hermione muttered for herself when they stepped inside the very beautiful common room. "My last year in Hogwarts and I'm stuck with _you_."  
"My thoughts exactly," Draco coldly replied as he dropped on a couch near the fire place.  
"For your safety," she said under her breath as she sat on an armchair, as far as him as she could. "Why does McGonagall care about your safety anyway? Why would _you_ need more protection than the others?"

The new Head Boy stared at her and, for once, she didn't see any trace of irony or arrogance on his face.

"Because the others didn't run away from the Dark Lord," he simply replied.

He stood up and left for his private bedroom, leaving a stunned Hermione behind.

**End of the chapter:** Hehe, longer that the others ;) hope you liked it! Now the real stuff's coming :D


	12. Draco's story

**ajerickson21:** To be perfectly honest, I was weird for me to write them together at the beginning XD but I thought she would fit the "new Harry" very well. I know that she is usually portrayed as an annoying brat (to be polite), but I think she's not like that. I think she's smart and cunning, like a Slytherin version of Hermione. I'm glad you liked my timing for Draco's return :D I really needed to go through the first six years with Draco alone before Dramione takes place :) Watching the first movie after reading this can be weird, I agree, especially when Harry turns down Draco's offer XD (by the way, I swear to God the beginning of this chapter was written before your review... you'll undertand).

**padfootsgrl79:** Yes, Dramione's gonna start now. As I said, I needed Draco to be alone until Dumbledore's death ;)

**xxkandygirlxx:** Haha, everyone's so happy that Hermione is finally there, it's funny :) I'm glad you liked this chapter even if they actually spoke very little to each other ;)

**Violet Astra:** Thank you very much for your nice comments, especially for the way I write (yayyy!) :) I like the fact that you had never asked yourself this question (personnaly I've been wondering ever since the first movie XD). Of course I had to replace Snape, he couldn't kill Dumbledore here since Narcissa never went to him, and I thought Bellatrix (I almost had Lucius doing it, but I thought it fitted Bella better) was the perfect person to take Snape's place in killing Dumbledore :D

**Megara Spoiler:** Thank you! And LOL yes the bathroom is shared, like the common room, although they can also go to the prefects' bathroom (which is shared too anyway).

**MargueriteHOL:** Thanks for the compliment about my beginning ^^ I had to take my time there to show how the story changed at so many points (Cedric not dying because Harry isn't noble enough to share his victory, people taking one more year to believe that Voldemort is back because the attack at the Ministry for the prophecy never occured, etc) otherwise Draco's character and Harry's character wouldn't make any sense :)

**sweet-tang-honney:** Thanks :D

**Chapter 12: Draco's story**

When Draco and Hermione left McGonagall alone in her new office, the headmistress turned to the former headmaster's portrait. He smiled kindly to her.

"You seem unsure about this, Minerva," Dumbledore said as he glanced at her over his golden glasses.  
"That's because I _am_, Albus," she quickly replied. "We are taking a risk by trusting the young Malfoy and allowing him to come back in the school. After everything he's done..."  
"I don't think so," Dumbledore said peacefully.  
"Merlin's beard, Albus... the boy tried to kill you _three_ times!"  
"Oh, yes, he did," the portrait calmly said. "But I do not believe that Draco truly wanted to see me dead. His two firsts attempts in killing me were not what you would expect from such a clever person, and if he _did _want to kill me, he would've done so immediately in the Astronomy tower, hidden under his friend's Invisibility Cloak, instead of Disarming me and then showing himself. As you said, he's just a _boy_. He is lost and confuse - he needs help. He was unlucky enough to have Lucius Malfoy as a father, and Bellatrix Lestrange as a aunt: fortunately, it seems to me that his mother is a much softer person than her husband and sister, and that she somehow had an influence over her son. Draco made the right decision by running away and coming to you for help and protection: you cannot let him down, Minerva."

The Animagus sighed.

"I just hope... I just hope I'm not putting the others students in danger by trying to help him. I want _everyone_ to be safe, not just one person. I know he needs help, and I want to help him, but still... I believe that you have a tendency to want to see the good in everyone. You are too much of an optimist."  
"I prefer referring to myself as someone who sees the good side of people even before they can see it," he said as he winked at her. "Trust me, Minerva, you have nothing to be scared of. Draco is not a murderer, and he will never be one: Bellatrix Lestrange herself saw it. Otherwise, she would never have used the Imperius Curse on her nephew to force him to kill me. It was disobeying to Voldemort and she wouldn't have done it unless it was absolutely necessary."

McGonagall crossed her arms, staring at her predecessor.

"This is what you believe," she said. "As far as I'm concerned, it might be possible that Draco did it by himself, or that he was going to do it anyway."  
"This is not what I believe: this is what happened. The young Malfoy was lowering his wand before the Death Eaters entered the tower, and he was obviously unable to kill me. As I said, he would've done so before, if he was a true Death Eater."

The headmistress slowly shook her head.

"I hope you are right, Albus. I really do."

* * *

Hermione stared at Draco's bedroom's door in disbelief. Running away? It had been ten minutes already since he had left her alone, but she still couldn't believe that she had heard those words from his mouth. Draco Malfoy, who was so proud of having a man like Lucius Malfoy as a father, who called Muggle-borns 'filthy Mudbloods' whenever he could, who cowardly hid himself behind Crabbe and Goyle whenever someone he was bullying wanted to respond to his words by his fists... would have decided to leave, and would have found enough courage in him to run away from Lord Voldemort himself?

It seemed impossible, but it also seemed impossible that he was a Death Eater. He surely was a snob, and would probably not even be Harry Potter's best friend if Harry wasn't so famous just because he wasn't a Pure Blood, but Hermione could hardly imagine that he would be able to torture someone and enjoy it like true Death Eaters did. Killing and torturing was very different from insulting Mudbloods and locking them into the bathroom to entertain his friends, and she didn't think he had that in him. His father and aunt surely did, though.

She sighed and sat more comfortably in the armchair, closing her eyes to relax a bit. Sharing her common room with Draco Malfoy... whether or not he had truly ran away from Voldemort, this would surely be a long year for the Head Girl.

* * *

"Granger. Hey, Granger... wake up, Mudblood!"

Hermione slowly opened an eye, and her glare met Malfoy's cold grey eyes. She had to admit that being waken up by _him_ was probably the worse way to start a day.

"Malfoy," she replied as she opened her other chocolate brown eye. "What the hell are you doing in my bedroom?"

Draco arched an eyebrow and smirked mockingly at her.

"Excuse me, _your bedroom?_ You are in the common room, Granger. Just in case you hadn't noticed."

Hermione looked around, and realised that he was right. She had spent the whole night sleeping on the armchair - and her tense muscles were there to prove it in quite a painful way.

"I know you are inferior," he said as he reajusted his tie, "But you have your bedroom with a bed that is much more comfortable than an armchair, and you are allowed to use it."

She shot him a deadly glare as she stood up to face him. He didn't look impressed at all - after all, he was much taller than she was. Actually, Draco seemed rather amused by the situation.

"You're _so_ funny, I think just I'll remember that one and laugh it later when I have more time."  
"You're right," he said mockingly as he headed for the exit. "You're a bit late. I'd hurry up if I were you, Mudblood."

Hermione took a deep breath when he finally left, trying to calm herself down. _That Malfoy! _But she couldn't let him win by driving her crazy, could she? Of course she couldn't. _For the love of Merlin, professor McGonagall... what were you thinking?_

* * *

When Draco sat at the Slytherin table, Harry and Pansy immediately rushed towards him.

"What the heck's going on?" Pansy asked.  
"What happened after you left?" Harry immediately said after her, not even leaving to Draco the time to think of an answer.  
"Are you ok, Draco?"  
"Wow."

He raised a hand to stop their questions, and then looked around them to make sure no one could hear what he was about to say. The Slytherin table, unlike the others, was almost empty. Many students of this house had left the school, much more than in the others. Children of Death Eaters, mostly.

"After Bellatrix almost broke my wirst to force me to run behind her," he slowly replied with a low voice, "She brought me back to the Dark Lord. Before she did so, she made me swear I'd pretend that I had killed Dumbledore, she made me swear I'd never tell him that she had used the Imperius Curse on me. I agreed. I didn't have the choice, did I?"

His grey eyes moved away from his friends' face to stare at his fork, as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"That didn't work, of course. Bella taught me Occlumency - you know, how to close your mind and all - she's a pretty good Occlumens, and so am I now. But it takes more than a 'pretty good' Occlumens to fool the Dark Lord. He was very angry that I hadn't succeed, angry that Bellatrix had actually did it for me, and, more importantly, angry that _she_, his most loyal and faithful servant, had tried to lie to him. He said Bellatrix would be punished for her lie, and that I'd have to prove my value if I didn't want to end up punished like her. Those were the two options I was given. But..."

His gaze moved towards Harry's face, and he gave his best friend a very small smile.

"You said it yourself, didn't you? I had to make my own choice for once, so I decided to pick a third option. One night, not long before the beginning of school, I sneaked out the mansion, and I managed to enter the castle the same way I had the Death Eaters use last year. I thought Hogwarts was the only place where I could be safe. Hated by most people, perhaps, but safe anyway. So I went to McGonagall, hoping that she'd be willing to help me. I wasn't so sure she would, to be honest. After all, everything looks like I've killed the one before her. But she did. She said she'd help me, if I had really left the Dark Lord's side. This is why she gave me the Head Boy badge, she says I'm much safer there than in the Slytherin common room."

Pansy smiled to Harry.

"See? I told you Hogwarts was the best place for him, I told you he'd understand and be brave enough to-"  
"Brave?" Draco said as he raised an eyebrow. "I ran away because I was afraid! I can't do what he wants me to do, and I don't want to pay the consequences for his anger either. And for your information, I'm still scared out of my fucking mind! It's not courage, it's cowardice."  
"No," Harry replied. "It's not cowardice, it's survival. Survival and the wish to do the good thing."

Draco simply shrugged and didn't reply, as if he didn't really agree but wasn't willing to object or to speak about it any longer. Pansy quickly understood it, and managed to move the conversation towards a more normal and neutral topic.

**End of the chapter:** A bit shorter but faster! ^^ Hope you liked it, keep reviewing!


	13. Slytherin's loyalty

**ajerickson21:** Hehe ^^ knew you'd like the beginning when I read your review. I actually love it a lot when they're mean with the other, it's the basis of their love/hate relationship after all. They both have a very strong character, and each one represents what the other is supposed to hate. Draco can't possibly fall for a Muggle-born Gryffindor so easily (let alone admitting it), and Hermione can't possibly fall easily for someone who insults her so often, and that is supposed to have killed Albus Dumbledore. About Ron, he will be there, but it will take a while before he becomes more important.

**sweet-tang-honney:** Thank you!

**xxkandyangelxx: **Thanks for understanding ^^ I'm glad to see you like it!

**Violet Astra:** The options given by Voldemort were actually told by Draco to his friends: it was either endure the punishment (namely, torture and potentially death) he deserves for failing his mission (because technically, he did not kill Dumbledore, although he was holding the wand and pronounced the Avada Kedavra) and trying to cover up his failure by a lie, or prove his value to the Dark Lord another way - and of course it does concern Harry.

**malfoy'sbabygirl:** With such a nickname, I sense a fellow Draco fan here! :D I'm happy that you like the idea of this alternate universe. And, of course, Harry is still "semi-Gryffindor", as you call it, because he couldn't change completely - no one can. They influence each others, Harry is not as good as he is in the real books (I actually think he is much more like his younger father here than in the books, and by that I mean he can be a bully and pretty arrogant): for instance, he did not share his victory with Cedric: instead, he threw him a spell so he would be the first one to reach the trophey. He's more selfish, more Slytherin, but still, I chose to keep his loyalty (especially towards his friends) very strong, because nothing states that a Slytherin must be disloyal. After all, the two mosts loyal characters that come to my mind are Snape (who was ultimately loyal forever towards his first and only love), and Bellatrix, who is so loyal to Voldemort that she spent many years in Azkaban with the Dementors because turning her back on him was much more unbearable then Dementors for her. However, on the other hand, Draco's good side grew stronger, because right at the beginning, he doesn't want to do it (whereas in the sixth book, he is very proud at the beginning, as stated by Bellatrix and then by himself in the train: it is only later that he becomes scared).  
Now, you pointed out some elements that I didn't mention/use here, I'll explain myself because I did not forget about them ;) Snape isn't as horrible as he would normally be towards Harry, as stated at the beginning: he doesn't treat him as good as the other Slytherin, but still better than the others houses, so he doesn't get as much attention here than he does in the books. Snape disappeared from my sixth year because I did not need him: Narcissa did not go to him to seek help for Draco, but to Harry, so he had nothing to do with the plot (namely, Draco's mission) anymore: he was replaced by Harry for Narcissa, and by Bellatrix in killing Dumbledore instead of Draco. The whole Sirius does not appear because, first of all, being Draco's friend instead of Ron's, Harry does not hear the conversation between Molly and Arthur saying that he escaped to find him. Later, Draco does not provoke him like he did in the books (saying that he'd seek revenge if he was in Harry's place), so Harry has no reason to want to run after him. And, finally, the Weasley twins are not there (obviously) to give him the map made by James, Peter, Sirius and Remus, so Harry doesn't see that Wormtail (supposed to be dead) is in the castle. So, since the whole thing did not affect Harry directly, I just skipped it. Just so you know, Sirius was unable to escape (since Harry and Hermione wasn't there so save both him and Buckbeak) the Dementors and got caught again. In the books, Tonks appears only as a member of the Order (and then as a friend of the Weasley), and because Harry is not as close as Dumbledore as he should be, and not a friend to the Weasley, he never met her. As for his father's story, those who are there to tell him about James in the book aren't there to do it here, that's as simple as that. Hope this super-mega-long explanation answers your questions :)

**MargueriteHOL:** I agree with you that running away is courageous ;) (although in some cases I'd disagree... Karkaroff, for instance)

**Chapter 13: Slytherin's loyalty**

Hermione sighed heavily and knocked harder on the wooden door.

"Malfoy, for heaven's sake, what the _hell_ are you doing in there?"  
"I'm shaving - why the hell do you ask anyway?! It's none of your business!"  
"Because we are supposed to _share_ this bathroom! I don't remember McGonagall saying you were supposed to _monopolize_ it all the time! I have to take my shower, so hurry up in there!"  
"But I don't care about your shower! Just go to the prefects bathroom if you can't wait for five little minutes-"  
"Five minutes?! You've been in there for over twenty minutes, what in the world is taking so long? Are you shaving your _legs_ or what?!"  
"Dammit, Mudblood-"  
"I have a name, by the way! Why do you call me Mudblood all the time?! Do _I_ call you Pure Blood?!"  
"You call me whatever you want. I don't care,_ Mudblood_."

However, he finally opened the door.

"Whatever I want? Can I call you Death Eater then?" she asked mockingly as she tried to enter the bathroom to take her shower.

He caught her elbow as she tried to step inside and forced her to look at him right into the eyes. Secondes before, he looked both amused and irritated. Now, he looked very angry. Not impressed at all, Hermione stared at him with her eyebrows very high.

"What?"  
"Don't you _dare_ insult me by calling me that."  
"You insult me by calling me Mudblood, where's the difference?"  
"The difference is, I'm stating the truth and you're lying. I am a Death Eater no more, but you still are a Mudblood. Blood cannot be changed."

He let go of her arm, but kept staring at her with eyes darkened by anger.

"No more, right?" she said. "I'm sure a little something on your arm would say otherwise. This cannot be changed either, can it?"  
"You've got absolutely no idea what you're talking about."  
"Possibly. It's true I've never killed anyone before."  
"I've never..."

He sighed. Why did he even bother explaining himself to Hermione Granger?

"Nevermind," he finally said.

He turned his back on her and left. Hermione frowned. What was he about to say? That he had never killed anyone? But what about Albus Dumbledore? The portrait's words came back to her thoughts: _"What seems to be," _he had said, _"Might not necessarly be true." _But if it wasn't Draco who had killed the headmaster, then _who _was it?

* * *

Draco dropped in front of his friends at the Slytherin table.

"Filthy Mudblood," he muttered under his breath. "Damn Miss Know-It-All, stupid little Gryffindor..."

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"You have troubles dealing with Granger, do you?"  
"No, I have troubles refraining myself from strangling her with her own hair for being such an annoying pain in the ass."  
"She's a Mudblood," Pansy said as she poured herself another glass of pumpkin juice. "What did you expect?"  
"She's such a book worm, I expected her to read her books in the common room and shut the hell up."

Hermione finally entered the Great Hall and shot him a deadly glare, as if she had heard him. It was impossible, though, since their table was way too far from the entrance.

"I can see that she absolutely loves you too," Harry said with an ironic tone.  
"Like I care," Draco replied. "I wish Pansy could be Head Girl instead of her, that would be much better."  
"Thanks, but I think the Head Boy and Head Girl can't be from the same house," Pansy replied. "Apparently, it wouldn't be fair."  
"But that'd be great," Harry commented with a smirk. "Imagine that. Two prefects for Slytherin, plus the Head Boy and Head Girl. Four people to represent our house."  
"Yeah, but imagine it the other way around: four people to represent Gryffindor, or four for Hufflepuff. Not so good."

Harry grimaced to his girlfriend's words.

"You're right."

* * *

Later that day, when classes were all over, the three friends had to go to the first prefects' meeting.

"It's still odd that McGonagall named you Head Boy," Harry noticed. "I mean I know it's for your safety and all, but I thought you had to be prefect before."  
"You don't," Pansy quickly replied instead of Draco. "Although most Head Girls and most Head Boys were first prefects, there is no rule stating that they have to. Your father," she continued, "Was made Head Boy in his seventh year although he has never been prefect."

Harry frowned.

"How do you know that? Even I had no idea he was Head Boy."  
"If Flitch had asked you to rewrite in golden letters the name of _every_ Head Boy and Head Girl this school has ever known when you were in second year, and if he had forced you to do it like a Muggle, then you'd remember them for the rest of your life. Trust me."  
"Plus, what do you think?" Draco said. "She wanted to be Head Girl so much, she learned the conditions for being Head Girl by heart."

Pansy punched his arm while Harry was laughing.

"Shut up!" she said. "And you too!" she added for her boyfriend. "I didn't... I mean of course I wanted it, but not to the point of - _would you stop laughing at me?!_"

They entered the prefects' room. They were the last to arrive. Hermione sighed upon seeing them.

"The three Slytherins, late? Why am I not even surprised?"  
"Let it go, Mudblood," Draco replied carelessly as he sat next to her, on the Head Boy's purple armchair. "We're not late and you know it."

Hermione deeply breathed in as Pansy and Harry sat on the green armchairs next to each others.

"All right, now that everyone's _finally_ here," she started, "Does anyone have something to-"  
"I do," Ron said, standing up.

He stared at Draco with anger, and then pointed him with his pale finger.

"What the heck is _he_ doing here?!"

Draco arched an eyebrow, while Hermione hid her face behind her hands, muttering "Oh, for heaven's sake". However, Harry noticed that, except Pansy and himself, all of the prefects seemed to agree with Ron's words, although none of them spoke.

"He killed Dumbledore," Weasley continued as he crossed his arms on his chest. "He doesn't belong in this room. For that matter, he doesn't belong in this school in the first place."  
"McGonagall chose me to be Head Boy," Draco replied before anyone else could say something else. "I understand that you crave for attention and prestige and would've liked the spot, but she picked me. Not you. _Me_."

Ronald's cheeks suddenly became even more red than his hair.

"What?! I don't crave for... that's not the point at all! You're a Death Eater, a murderer, a-"  
"Shut up, Weasley!" Harry barked as he stood up and walked towards Draco's armchair, ready to defend his friend with his wand or his fists if he had to. "You weren't in the godamn tower that night!"  
"He's right!" Pansy said, also standing up to be next to her friend. "You don't even know what you're talking about! Draco did not kill Dumbledore, he didn't kill _anyone!_ He's not a murderer, nor is he a Death Eater!"  
"Yeah, like we are supposed to believe his friends' words. So Malfoy's not a Death Eater, really?" Ron said harshly, taking a step towards the three Slytherin students. "Then he won't mind rolling up his left sleeve and prove it to all of us?"

They didn't react. What could they say? Draco _did_ have the Mark after all...

"AH! I knew it," the Gryffindor prefect continued. "He _is_ one of them - and I'll prove everyone!"

He took another step foward, but Harry and Pansy immediately reacted the very same way, as if they were sharing the same brain: they stepped forward, standing before their friend and pointing their wands to Weasley. Anyone who wanted to reach Draco would have to go through them - litterally.

"Don't you _dare_," Pansy said with her most threatening voice.  
"You'd better back off, Weasley," Harry suggested, still pointing his magic wand at him. "You don't want to see how good she is in a duel."

Ron tried to take out his wand, but Pansy quickly and silently Disarmed him before he could ever think about what he was going to do with it. Weasley's wand rolled on the floor, totally out of reach.

"Now," she said with a voice that was dangerously low and calm, "You're starting to piss me off, Weasley, and if you think I'm a bitch when everything's normal, then you're gonna hate me when I'm _pissed_. So you are going to put your blood traitor's ass back on your seat, and you won't open your filthy mouth to insult my friend ever again. Otherwise, this will really get ugly. Trust me."  
"ENOUGH!"

It was Hermione's voice. She had stood up, too, and was now crossing her arms while staring at them.

"This is absolutely ridiculous. We are suppose to keep Hogwarts organised, not to start even more fights! So now, everyone will sit down _calmly_ and put their wand back in their pockets. McGonagall chose Malfoy as a Head Boy, and if anyone here has a problem with the decisions she takes as a headmistress of this school, then that person should go and discuss that matter with _her_."

Ron obeyed - although he was clearly unhappy to do so - and the Slytherin prefects lowered their wands before they sat back on their green armchairs. Hermione sighed heavily.

"Does anyone has an idea to keep the school organised, safe and happy?" she said.  
"I do!" yelled Lavender Brown as she raised her hand so high it almost touched the ceiling.  
"Yes, Lavender?"  
"A ball!"

The prefects girls seemed very enthusiasts, while the prefects boys all hit their forehead with their hand, muttering "Not again, dammit".

"A... a ball?"  
"Yes!" Lavender said. "So everyone can be happy and united for once, and forget about You-Know-Who and the Death Eaters! The Ball we had for the tournament was so great, I don't understand why it was the only one we ever had."  
"It takes a lot of work to organise this," Hermione said, "But it could be interesting."

The boys grunted.

"Oh, _please_ guys," Hermione said as she rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you don't want an evening to relax and have fun."  
"We do," Harry said. "But we don't want to dance."

The others laughed - even Ron was able to smile at his comment.

"Well then _don't_," Hermione replied. "But Malfoy and I will bring this suggestion to McGonagall to see if she agrees."  
"What do you mean, 'Malfoy and I'?" the Head Boy said as he shot her a cold glare. "I don't remember giving my opinion on that. I'm not sure a ball is such a good idea."  
"Predictably," she murmured for herself.  
"I'm not talking on a personal point of view here, I'm talking on a _safety_ point of you. What if the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters try to take advantage of-"  
"Should listen to him, Hermione," Ron said, staring at Draco. "He knows a great deal about Death Eaters and You-Know-Who."  
"Shut up, Weasley!" Pansy said, in the same barking manner her boyfriend did few minutes ago.  
"Forget it, Pansy," Draco replied as he shrugged. "He has no idea what he's talking about and wouldn't have had the balls to do what I did."  
"Right, I don't have the balls to kill someone, such a shame!"  
"No, he meant you wouldn't have the guts to escape Voldemort," Harry's voice snapped.

Ronald grimaced - which didn't go unoticed by the Slytherin prefect. A smirk creeped on his lips.

"See? You can't even stand his name. Well Draco ran away from him."  
"I'll believe it when Muggles can do magic, Potter."  
"Enough! Ron, for the love of Merlin, are you going to jump on his throat whenever he opens his mouth?" Hermione said.  
"Maybe," Ron replied coldly. "Why are you defending him anyway?"

Hermione's cheeks quickly turned to scarlet.

"I am not! But we aren't supposed to discuss his condition, he is Head Boy and that's it! Can we now get to the real subject of this meeting, or do you have more accusations?"

Ron's face was paler than ever.

"I don't."  
"Thank you. Now, we would like to talk about the patrols..."

One hour later, the meeting was finally over, and Draco would've liked to leave with his friends, but he and Hermione had to report to the headmistress.

"Yes, you may enter," her voice said when they knocked on the door.

She smiled to them. Dumbledore, who was previously in Dippet's portrait, left his predecessor to go back in his own frame, staring kindly at both of them.

"How did it go?"  
"Horribly," Hermione admitted.

Minerva arched an eyebrow.

"Why is that?"  
"Ron couldn't help but-"  
"Oh, forget about it," Draco carelessly said. "I don't give a damn about what he thinks."  
"But she has to know - it isn't a proper behaviour for a prefect!"  
"Let me guess, Miss Granger," the Animagus interrupted. "Mr. Weasley disagreed about Mr. Malfoy's position and presence."  
"That's an understatement," the Head Boy said as he looked away.  
"Not only that, but Harry and Pansy-"  
"Now you leave them alone!"

She sighed.

"Harry and Pansy threatened him with their wands. Pansy even threw him a spell."  
"Threw him a spell? Come on! She just Disarmed him because he was taking out his wand, he didn't even feel it!"  
"He took out his wand because they were already both pointing theirs wands at him!"  
"They wouldn't have done it if your stupid friend hadn't started to call me a Death Eater and a murderer without even knowing what the fuck he was talking about! How old is he, seven?!"  
"But this is what you are to the eyes of everybody here! You can't blame him-"  
"Enough! Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger, I expect more of you than quarelling like children!"

Draco didn't react, but Hermione bobbed down.

"Now, I will speak personally to Mr. Weasley so he can understand the situation. As for Mr. Potter and Miss Parkinson, although I dislike very much punishing loyalty to a friend, I will speak to them to have their version of this story and potentially give them detention, if I feel it is needed. No matter how noble the intention, this behaviour is unacceptable for prefects. Now, except Mr. Malfoy's situation, did you talk about something else?"  
"Yes," Hermione replied. "Lavender suggested that we organise a ball, like the one we had for the tournament. She thinks it would be good for everyone to be able to forget about You-Know-Who for at least one night, and I can't say I disagree."  
"She might be right. Mr. Malfoy, what do you think?"  
"I'm not sure about the safety of all this, to be honest."  
"We'd take care of that. How does the Halloween night sound to you? Is it too early for the preparations?"  
"I don't think so," Hermione replied. "We should have enough time."  
"All right, then a ball for Halloween will take place. If this is all, you can go."

They turned and headed for the door, but Dumbledore's voice stopped them:

"Wait. For such occasions, it is a tradition in Hogwarts for the prefects of each house to go to the ball together, and for the Head Boy to go with the Head Girl."

Draco quickly turned to the portrait.

"Surely this is a tradition we can forget?" he said.  
"Yes!" Hermione continued with a piercing voice. "For once, I agree with him!"  
"I don't think so," Dumbledore replied. "It is very symbolic - shows that the school is united and strong, you know. And there is nothing we need more than unity right now."

The Head Boy and the Head Girl stared at each others in disbelief.

This would be the longest night of their entire life.

**End of the chapter:** Damn traditions!! ;) Hope you liked that one too :D


	14. Hate and Love

**ajerickson21:** Hehe ^^ it's simple actually. Ron looks like the "bad guy" only because he acts against the point of view I'm telling the story from (namely, Harry and Draco's). Also because he states something that is not true (that Draco killed Dumbledore) ;) plus, Ron hates Draco and the Malfoy so much, this _had_ to happen! But I actually agree with Hermione that he cannot be blamed for this, since almost everyone believes that Draco did it, and no one understands why McGonagall allowed him to come back, and as a Head Boy ontop of it.

**padfootsgrl:** Thanks!

**sweet-tang-honney:** Thank you! Glad you liked it again!

**jessirose85:** Thanks a lot!

**United-girl: **Thank you very much for this flaterring review! As for your question, you must have some sort of magical power... *whistles as she walks away towards the next review*

**WhiteTigerXOXO:** You're making me blush :)

**Violet Astra:** Oh but they will wear costumes, don't you worry: it is the Halloween ball after all ;)

**MargueriteHOL:** No, I don't think Ron is being horrible, I think he's just being himself, considering how much his family hate Malfoy's family. The Weasley have always been on Dumbledore's side, and for everyone (including Ron), Draco murderer him, so it's simply normal that he does not want to see him as a Head Boy or even in the school - considering he is supposed to have killed its headmaster.

**Chapter 14: Hate and Love**

Again, when the Head Boy and the Head Girl left McGonagall alone in her office, she turned to Dumbledore's portrait, her eyebrows very high.

"A tradition for the prefects of each houses to go to balls together, and for the Head Boy and the Head Girl to go together too?" she said in disbelief. "Where does this tradition come from exactly?"  
"From nowhere," Dumbledore admitted.  
"Albus, for Merlin's sake... I mean some of them like Miss Parkinson and Mr. Potter won't mind, since they would've gone together _anyway_, but Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger? Do you want them to try to kill the other while they are dancing?"  
"Oh, but I am nothing but a portrait now - please let me have some fun, Minerva. Furthermore, you had them live together, so if they can't stand each other, surely the murder will occur before the ball."

He winked at her and left his golden frame.

* * *

Right after leaving the headmistress' office, Draco took a different path then Hermione. She frowned.

"Where are you going?"  
"In my common room - not that it concerns you, of course," he coldly replied.  
"The common room's the other way, Malfoy."  
"I said _my_ common room. I'm going to Slytherin's."

The Head Girl frowned.

"But McGonagall says it's not safe in there for you!"  
"What in Salazar's name is your problem, Mudblood? Are you my mother or what? If I wanna go there to see my friends and be away from _you_, then I will!"

Hermione deeply breathed in.

"Right! Go put yourself in danger, so if I'm lucky, I won't have to go to the ball with you!"  
"You're right, I'd rather die!"  
"My thoughts exactly, Malfoy!"  
"Then go jump off the Astronomy tower, that'll give all of us - including me - a break!" he yelled over his shoulder.  
"Because you know a lot about the Astronomy tower, right? Maybe you could help me to jump?!"

The Gryffindor girl had never seen anyone react so quickly. As a matter of fact, she almost didn't seen anything, since she was turning her back on him too, but the next thing she knew, he was holding her against the wall with his hands on her shoulders. She raised an eyebrow, still not impressed by him.

"You don't scare me, Malfoy. I know you won't do anything to me here, because anyone could just walk on us and see what you've-"  
"Now listen, Mudblood," he said with a low, threatening voice that wasn't so different from the voice Pansy had used against Ron. "I did _not_ kill Albus Dumbledore. It's true I've been asked to do it, it's true I tried to do it three times. The necklace and the poison never reached Dumbledore, and nearly killed two other people-"  
"Katie and Ron... it was _you!_ It was your fault they almost died last year! And you truly expect me to believe that-"

Draco didn't listen to her and continued:

"But that night, ontop the tower... it wasn't me who killed Dumbledore. I couldn't - I'm not a murderer, whatever you think of me! So Bellatrix..."

His fingers were so tight on her shoulders that it was starting to hurt her, but she didn't react. She was staring at him, listening in silence - for once - to what he had to say.

"Bellatrix, who wanted it to look like I had succeed... she used the Imperius Curse on me. And _she_ killed Dumbledore. It was my hand, my wand, my voice... but _not_ my decision. I am truly sorry that I wasn't strong enough to fight the Imperius Curse, and even more sorry that people suffered from what I did. I didn't mean to... I didn't mean to hurt anyone. I thought there was no other way for me to live, and I didn't want the Dark Lord to kill me, or to kill my family! Yes, I was selfish and coward, and it is not out of courage and generosity that I ran away this summer. I don't want to die or to be tortured - but I can't obey to the Dark Lord either. So here I am, back at Hogwarts, under McGonagall's protection. She would never have allowed me to come back if I wasn't speaking the truth."

He blinked and stared at her, as if he had suddenly realised who he was talking to. Draco moved back.

"And you can take these words to Weasley, and all those who call me a murderer in my back, I don't care."

Without even leaving Hermione the time to open her mouth, Draco left the corridor.

* * *

"Noble purity," he said in front of the blank wall that leaded to the Slytherin common room.

The wall flipped open upon hearing the password, and Draco stepped inside the green common room. Pansy's voice immediately raised:

"Draco!"

Harry raised his head from his school book.

"Hello," Malfoy simply replied as he dropped on a leather couch that used to be his favourite.  
"I thought you weren't supposed to come here," Harry said.  
"Yeah, and I'm supposed to lock myself inside my common room, alone with Granger?"  
"It's safer for you," Pansy noticed.  
"Just wanted to see both of you. I needed it after we met McGonagall."  
"Why, what happened?"  
"Granger couldn't help but tell everything."  
"So Weasley's gonna get punished," Harry said with a cunning smile.  
"Perhaps, but so are you. Granger said you threatened him and that Pansy threw him a spell and-"  
"I _Disarmed_ him, for Merlin's sake!"  
"I _know_, that's what I said after. Then McGonagall said that she'd talk with you, and that you might get detention even though 'the intention was noble'."  
"I don't give a fuck about detention," Harry said as he shrugged. "I'll do it again whenever I have to, and if it means polishing the tropheys every time, then so be it. They'll shine like never before, but I won't let anyone attack my friend."  
"I haven't said the worse yet. McGonagall loved the idea of the ball - and Dumbledore said that prefects of each house are expected to go to the ball together."

Harry looked at Pansy for a few secondes, and then stared back at Draco.

"Doesn't sound so bad to me. I would've gone with Pansy anyway."  
"No," she said. "You don't get it. If each prefect boy goes with the prefect girl of his house, then this surely means... that the Head Boy and Head Girl..."  
"No fucking way!"  
"Yeah," Draco sighed. "I'll have to go with this filthy Mudblood! It's supposed to show the school's unity - how fucking united is this school if I kill my partner in the middle of the ball? What the hell have I done to Dumbledore to deserve that?!"  
"Tried to kill him?" Harry innocently suggested.  
"No, Dumbledore wouldn't be taking his revenge on anyone, especially not an innocent," Pansy argued. "This is probably an old and stupid tradition."  
"What tradition? We had a ball in our fourth year, and the prefects weren't together!"  
"Because the ball we had for the tournament was special. We were meant to melt with the other schools, not to stick together," Pansy explained.  
"Oh, _come on_, Dumbledore was just trying to make fun of Draco. Right?"

Draco shook his head. He looked like he had just received a death sentence.

"No, he was serious about it."

He closed his grey eyes and sighed heavily.

"Now I hate him almost as much as I hate _her_."

* * *

Hermione silently stared at the flames dancing gracefully in the fireplace. She didn't know how long she had been staring at them, but it had surely been a while. So it was true, then, that Draco didn't kill Dumbledore, and that he had never wanted to be a Death Eater in the first place? Of course this whole thing could be a lie. _No_, a voice said in her head._ It wasn't_. She sighed and sat more comfortably on the purple velvet couch. No one could lie this perfectly. But, not only that... he actually felt sorry for those who had been hurt because of him? Where was the arrogant Slytherin who liked nothing better than playing pranks on Flich, except maybe throwing spells at Muggle-borns' faces? Could it be that the real Draco was a much softer person, and that he was only pretending to be this bully?

Hermione shook her head to get back to reality. He still called her a Mudblood, he still did everything he could to be annoying and mean towards her, and he was still the most unbearable person in this school.

Right?

* * *

Harry was walking down the dark and silencious corridor. Now that McGonagall had scared the hell out of everyone about the curfew, he hardly saw anyone when doing his prefect patrols at night. There was nothing but empty corridors, empty classrooms, and empty bathrooms. So, when he felt two arms wrapping around his waist from behind... he almost died of a heart attack. He quickly turned, raising his wand in the air, ready to fight - and he ended up face to face with Pansy. She smirked.

"Well, aren't we a bit jumpy now?"  
"A bit jumpy?" he said as he lowered his wand with relief. "You sneaked up on me like a ninja!"

Pansy frowned.

"What's a ninja?"  
"It's... nevermind, it's not important. Stupid Muggle fairytales. What are you doing? You should be sleeping."

The smirk went back on her pretty, tempting lips.

"I wanted to see you," she replied, bringing her body even closer to his.

Harry arched an eyebrow, perfectly understanding what she wanted to say, and he decided to play along.

"I could give you detention for being out of the common room without permission," he said with a cunning tone.

The smirk grew bigger on Pansy's lips, and they were all that Harry could look at. Full, pink, and he knew they were so soft and hot... he could almost taste their sweetest on his own.

"Really?" she asked, pouting like a spoiled child.

Her lips were even more irresistible like that, and he couldn't help but grab her waist and capture these two delicious lips with his own. She gasped with surprise when Harry inverted their positions, his burning mouth going down Pansy's neck to reach this spot that was so sensitive on her pale skin. She whimpered and held her boyfriend's body even closer to hers. Another gasp left her open mouth when Harry quickly opened the nearest door and entered in whatever room it was with her, immediately closing the wooden door behind them as he kissed her passionately.

"You in a hurry?" she purred slyly.  
"Heard someone coming," he whispered back.

Whoever it was didn't seem to have noticed their presence, as the footsteps didn't stop and eventually died out, as the person reached another corridor, having absolutely no idea that he (or she) had almost bumped into two prefects making out instead of taking care of their duties. Harry and Pansy, however, didn't take care of that, as they were busy doing something much more enjoyable than listening to a random person's pace. As he felt Pansy's hand on his belt, he shoved it away with his own, smirking at her.

"And I'm the one in a hurry?" Harry asked in a murmur.

She laughed shortly, the sound dying in the air as they kissed wildly again, bodies pressed against the door. They slowly slid down the dark wood and silently collapsed on the cold floor together.

**End of the chapter:** Perhaps you thought the "love" in the title was meant for Draco and Hermione? ;) Hope you liked that chapter too (even though it was more like a transition chapter): I am slowly getting to Dramione. Yay!


	15. Behind the masks

**Violet Astra: **Who doesn't like the quick updates? ;) Here's another one for you!

**ajerickson21: **Dumbledore will be there, but just sometimes - after all he's nothing but a portrait now (as he stated himself). I know they must not fall for each others too fast, I'm trying to refrain myself!! XD Harry and Pansy was weird for me a the beginning to, but, I don't know, I felt that she would perfectly fit the new Harry. Anyway. And you might be right about the person walking in the corridor when they hide in the room, I'm still wondering how I am going to bring this back ;)

**Chapter 15: Behind the masks**

One week later, at the second prefects meeting, Draco and Hermione had announced the prefects that McGonagall had accepted Lavender's idea to organise a ball, and that it would occur during the Halloween night. Everyone was pleased - especially the girls, of course. They then explained that Dumbledore's - or, to be more specific, Dumbledore's _portrait_ - had been very clear that the prefects were meant to attend this evening together. Lavender and Ron didn't seem to mind, as did the Hufflepuff's prefects. As for the Ravenclaw's, they were already a couple, just like Harry and Pansy, so this decision didn't change anything to their plans. Ron seemed quite disgusted, however, when he understood that this meant that his best friend would have to go to the Halloween ball with Draco Malfoy. By the end of this meeting, it had been decided that everyone should be wearing a costume, for this was, after all, Halloween's night.

And this was precisely why Hermione was staring at Draco with her arms crossed and a threatening glare that reminded him of McGonagall's.

"What?" he asked as he looked at her, sitting carelessly on a velvet armchair.  
"Everyone - and this includes _you_, Malfoy - had agreed that we were going to wear costumes tonight, am I right?"  
"For once, you are. And your point is?"  
"My point is, the ball is starting in ten minutes and you are _obviously_ not wearing a costume! So get your ass in your room and put your costume on! I don't wanna be late because of you."  
"I am wearing a costume," he replied.

She arched an eyebrow.

"A black suit is _not_ considered a costume."  
"No, look!"

He stood up, flapping his long black cloak behind him.

"I'm a vampire."

Hermione sighed. Although Malfoy did look a bit like a vampire with his fair skin, black suit and black cloak, she still disagreed to call this a costume - especially considering that the palor of his skin was just his natural tone, and that he was almost always wearing black _anyway_.

"You are not!"  
"Yes I am! For that matter, what are you supposed to be?"

Hermione was wearing a long black dress made of silk, tightened around her waist by a leather corset: she had black stilettos on, and a black, shinning mask around her chocolate eyes. Her normally crazy and messy chestnut hair had somehow been tamed and put together in a very elegant bun that she wore on the bottom of her head. Draco had to admit that she looked absolutely stunning, even though he would've rather suffered days of Cruciatus Curse by Bellatrix than telling anyone how amazing she looked like that. For a seconde or two, when she had opened her bedroom's door and walked out with such prestance, he had forgotten that she was a Mudblood, and could've sworn he was staring at a Pure Blood. But then she had spoken, and he had immediately remembered how much of a pain in his ass she was.

Upon hearing his question, she looked down at her own clothes.

"I'm... I guess I'm some sort of a... well nevermind that! It's pretty and it look more like a costume than what you have! At least I am wearing a mask."

Draco sighed, took out his wand, and materalized a black mask around his eyes, one that looked like Hermione's, except that it didn't glitter like hers.

"Satisfied? Now can we get this over with?"

They left their common room, but Hermione was not done:

"Would you behave yourself just for one little evening? I'm not asking you to give me the moon!"  
"You're not my mother, don't talk to me like I'm a child!"  
"You're right, I'm not, thanks Merlin!"  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
"That I can't help but feel sorry for her that her only son is such an annoying brat!"  
"Annoying brat? Who are you calling an annoying brat? You're the one that started this whole fight! I didn't do anything!"  
"I just want you to do something correctly for once! Don't spoil the ball, that's it! We're stuck together for the rest of the evening, but you don't have to make it a hell for both of us!"  
"The same goes for you, Granger!"

They entered the Great Hall, that had been beautifully decorated for the occasion. Everyone was staring at them, for they were speaking much louder than anyone else in the room, but they didn't even notice.

"Look, this is as unpleasant for me as it is for you, but-"  
"Unpleasant? You're the one who got lucky!"  
"Excuse me?!"  
"Thanks to Dumbledore, you're going to the ball with _me_ - while I am, unfortunately, stuck with a filthy Mudblood, namely _you!_"  
"Sorry, but I do not feel lucky at all! Get over yourself, dammit Malfoy! And I might be a Mudblood, but you're a-"

Someone coughed behind them: they turned, only to realise that McGonagall was staring at them with her eyebrows very high and a severe glare.

"Now," she said, "I thought I was clear when I asked you to stop fighting like children. I expect more maturity from _both_ of you."  
"Professor," Hermione said as she took a deep breath to calm herself down. "You can't _possibly_ expect me to spend the whole evening with him!"  
"Oh, but I do, Miss Granger. Generations of prefects, Head Boys and Head Girls followed this old tradition for the balls that were organised in the past, and, as of today, no one died. Make sure this doesn't change tonight, _both_ of you. Now, go at the back there with the prefects. They are going to open the ball with you, but you will be the very first to dance."

They both blinked several times.

"I have to dance..." Hermione started.  
"With her?!" Draco ended.  
"Yes, this is a _ball_, what did you both expect?"

The headmistress shook her head and walked away as they joined with the prefects.

"Just don't walk on my feet," she muttered.  
"And watch were you put your dirty hands," he hissed back at her.  
"Excuse me?! What are you trying to-"  
"Attention everyone!" McGonagall's suddenly loud voice said. "I would like to tell everybody that this evening would not be happening without the hard work of your prefects, your Head Boy and your Head Girl. Please applause them."

Everyone clapped their hands together for them, but Hermione and Draco were both too angry to react. They were turning they back on each others, arms crossed, in quite a comical way.

"They deserve the first dance of the night, don't they?"

The students all cheered.

"Music!"

A slow, elegant music started from nowhere, and a magical spotlight enlightened the Head Boy and the Head Girl. Knowing that they had no other choice, they turned to face each others. Everyone was now staring at them, waiting for them to open the ball. Hermione finally took Draco's left hand in her right, putting her other hand behind his neck. Sighing heavily, Draco - obviously uncomfortable with the idea of being touched by her and having to touch her too - put his free hand around her waist, and they started to dance under the magical golden light.

No matter how much she hated him, Hermione had to admit that he could dance. Actually, he was an amazing dancer, and without this very recognizable white-blond hair, she would've been able to forget that the young man she was dancing with was Draco Malfoy. Behind his I'm-bored-out-of-my-fucking-mind face, the Slytherin was also slightly impressed. Hermione was a very graceful dancer, even him could see it as her black dress flew beautifully with her elegant moves. _She may be the most annoying person in the world_, he thought, _but at least she dances very well_.

Their eyes met as they danced in front of the entire school, and, for an unknown reason, Hermione could not break the eye contact, and neither could Draco. For a short while, as they stared at each others, there was no hate or anger in their glare: there was a smile in Hermione's, and a bit of sadness in Draco's. The music stopped, and the charm was broken as everyone applauded. They moved back, and she cleared her throat.

"Thirsty," she said, grabbing the first excuse to walk away from him.  
"Gotta ask something to Harry," he quickly said as she spoke, also trying to get away as fast as he could.

He dropped on a chair next to Harry and Pansy, who was currently sitting on her boyfriend's lap, although there was an empty chair right next to her. She looked very beautiful in her angel disguise - although an unpleasant voice in Draco's mind added "but not as much as Granger". He shook his head to get back on Earth.

"You're both still alive? I thought someone would be dead by now," she asked with a smirk.  
"The murder's coming," Draco replied. "Just wondering how I'm going to do it precisely."  
"At least she's a decent dancer," Harry noticed.

Pansy glared at him.

"I said _decent_," Harry said, and her eyes softened.  
"Miss Parkinson," McGonagall's voice snapped. "I didn't notice we were _that_ short on chairs."

She stared at the empty chair next to the prefects. Pansy uttered some inaudible words, and slipped on that chair.

"Thanks Merlin she wasn't there last week in Trelawney's office," Harry said slyly as she walked away. "Would've given her a heart attack."

Pansy managed to prevent the laugh to left her mouth, and Draco rolled his eyes.

"You're both lucky Trelawney is as unable to notice anything right behind her nose as she is unable to predict the future," he commented.  
"Ew, Draco! She wasn't there!" Pansy replied, grimacing.

He arched an eyebrow.

"I certainly hope so."

After speaking with his friends for a while, Draco stood up.

"Well, gotta go back trying to endure the Mudblood, I guess. I'll come back when I can't take it anymore - expect me to be back within five minutes."

They laughed as he walked away.

"I don't know whether they're going to kill each other or _kiss_ each other," Pansy said cunningly.  
"Kiss? You're out of your mind."  
"And you're blind if you didn't see the way they stared at each other after the dance."

Her eyes followed Draco as he disappeared in the crowd.

"And if I'm right, he's the one that is out of his damn mind..."  
"Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger?" Harry said doubtfully. "Not even if they were the two last people standing on Earth."

Hours later, Hermione walked towards the two Slytherins prefects.

"What do you want?" Pansy asked coldly.  
"Have you seen Draco?"  
"Why are you looking for him?"  
"Because McGonagall said we've got to dance for the end of the ball and he is nowhere to be found. I haven't seen him since gave me the slip after the first dance, and he told me he'd be with both of you."  
"He was there," Harry replied, "But he left us hours ago."

Pansy frowned.

"And, for that matter, he said he was going to join _you_."

Hermione sighed. Couldn't Draco do just _one_ thing correctly?

* * *

Draco entered a tiny, dusty closet and locked the door behind him.

"_Lumos_," he murmured to bring light to the place.

Then, his hand went back in his pocket, reaching for something that was apparently very precious for him: it was a small, very old-looking cracked mirror, with a silver frame showing a snake bitting his own tail. He stared at his reflection in silence for a short while, just to make sure no one was around the closet.

"Please show me the Dark Lord," he muttered.

His reflection disappeared, replaced by a thick, black mist. When the mist vanished from the mirror, Voldemort's red eyes were staring at Draco through the magical mirror.

"You're late," he said coldly.  
"Couldn't get away before."  
"How is it going?"  
"Everyone believed me," Draco replied with a very low voice. "It was easier than I thought to fool Harry and Pansy. Even McGonagall believed me quickly."  
"Good. The cabinets are still working, I suppose?"  
"They are. I used them to get in the school."  
"And we shall use it again to enter Hogwarts by the end of the year. This time... the school with be purified. Now, Draco, you are going to do one last thing for me. A Christmas present."

Draco frowned, but did not speak.

"You are going to bring me Harry Potter for the Christmas holiday. Simply bring him to your mansion."

Draco's body froze. All of his energy was trying to fight against the curse. He didn't want to bring his best friend to death - because this is what Voldemort was asking, of course. He didn't want Harry at the Malfoy manor just to drink a cup of tea with him, and chat about their lives.

"No," he managed to whisper. "Harry's my friend-"  
"You don't care," Voldemort said, merciless.  
"No!" Draco said more strongly. "I'm not going to do this!"  
"_Impero!_"

The spell was less powerful when the eye contact wasn't direct, but still, Draco felt his thoughts and fears being wiped away.

"You will bring me Harry Potter for Christmas!" Voldemort's threatening voice said through the mirror.

Again, Draco's will lost the fight, and his face calmed down.

"I will."

**End of the chapter:** Another quick update! I hope you liked my plot twist, hehe ^^ Draco's struggle with Voldemort isn't over yet! ;)


	16. Unfairly beautiful

**Uvulaofdoom:** Hi, thank you! ^^ The smexiest? You're thinking of my shirtless Draco, are you? ;)

**ajerickson21:** Thanks for this review and the nice words, it goes straight to my heart and I love it when I'm able to surprise someone :D so I hope that what you have in mind is different from what I've planned, so I can surprise you again!!

**tfobmv18:** Thank you for this nice review, I hope the rest of the story won't disappoint you!

**United-girl:** The Dark Lord is alive (and he has been for quite a few chapters now), I allowed him to come back as he did in the books at the end of Harry's fourth year, in my third chapter "The Cup". The only thing that changed about Voldemort's return is that it took even more time in my story for people to believe Harry than it took in JKR's. As for Draco, he is, just like he was when he killed Dumbledore, under the influence of the Imperius Curse. He did not really run away like he said he did: Voldemort sent him in Hogwarts under his control.

**sweet-tang-honney:** Thank you!

**katekalamity: **Thanks a lot! I'm glad you like the way I write the characters - I try to make them as true to themselves as they can possibly be in this alternate version of the story. I also believe (quite obviously...) that Draco is not a bad person - just a lost teenager who had terrible influences (first Lucius, who was replaced by the even worse Bellatrix Lestrange). Pansy's probably the character who has gone through the most drastic change when you compare my Pansy to the books' Pansy, but you barely see her in the books and I refuse to believe that she is as stupid and annoying as she is in some fanfictions. To me, Pansy is a very clever girl (otherwise I doubt that she'd be Draco's love interest) and a leader. Some sort of a more cunning and sly Hermione ;)

**Chapter 16: Unfairly beautiful**

When Draco came back into the Great Hall, he was immediately spotted by Hermione, who quickly walked towards him.

"Where the hell have you been?" she asked, her hands on her hips. "I've been looking for you for _ages! _McGonagall wants us to dance for the end of the ball."  
"Can't someone just go to the bathroom for a minute?"  
"For a minute, yes. For almost four hours... _no_."

She frowned, having noticed something: Draco's black suit was pretty dusty.

"What bathroom did you use, for heaven's sake? You're covered with dust!"  
"Will you stop questionning everything?"

He took out his wand and used it to make the dust disappear.

"And can _you_ do something correctly for once?!"  
"Sure."

He moved his open hand towards her.

"I can dance."

Hermione took the Head Boy's pale hand as McGonagall was finally announcing the last dance of the evening.

_It's odd_, Draco thought as they were dancing together once again under the golden spotlight. Whenever they were fighting - which basically meant every time they were in the same room - he felt... different. Not free, but _almost_. As if he was, for very short moments, able to slip away from the Dark Lord's control. Was it because Voldemort just let him argue with her, for it didn't interfere in his plans, or was it something else? Was it because she was so annoying, because he hated her so much?

One could break the Imperius Curse, Draco knew it, although he had quickly realised that his own will, unfortunately, wasn't strong enough to fight the Dark Lord's. But was his hate for Hermione Granger, Hogwarts' best known Mudblood Know-it-All, truly strong enough to push Voldemort away for a while? If it was... if it was, then could it push him away for good, and free him from Voldemort's control?

"Malfoy?" Hermione's unsure voice said.  
"What?" he asked, staring at her.

She slightly blushed.

"The... the dance's over you know. You can let go of me."

Lost in his thoughts, he hadn't even noticed that the music had stopped, and therefore was still standing right in the middle of the Great Hall, holding Hermione's hand and waist. He moved back.

"Sorry."

Hermione stared at him for a short while, and then walked away towards Ron to wish him a good night. He glanced at her from the corner of his grey eyes. Did the Mudblood really hold the keys to his freedom?

"Hey," Pansy's voice said, bringing him back down on Earth quite abruptly. "Like what you're staring at?"  
"Wh...? I'm not staring at anything."  
"Nothing but a Mudblood, yes."  
"What the fuck are you trying to say?"  
"Pansy thinks you like her. A lot, you know," Harry explained.  
"Ew, Pansy! I wouldn't approach her with a twenty-feet broom!"  
"You were holding her quite tightly," the prefect girl replied as she smirked cunningly.  
"'Cause McGonagall said we had to dance!"  
"I meant after the music stopped."

Draco sighed heavily.

"Really, Pansy," he replied. "If you weren't dating Harry, I'd think you're jealous."  
"I am not!" she said, very insulted. "But I'm worried for you. Pure Blood like _us_ can't be around her kind."  
"Let it go, honey," Harry started, but he was cut by Draco's voice.  
"Firstly, may I remind you - no offence Harry - the blood status of your _own_ boyfriend? Secondly, you have no reason to worry because, as I said, I have nothing but hate for her."  
"You know as well as I do that my parents aren't like yours."

Harry rolled his emerald eyes.

"Pansy, even _if_ you were right, what could his father do about it? Disinherit him? Oh, wait, I think he was disinherited when he ran away from Voldemort - must have pissed him off enough to do it, I'm sure. Am I right, Draco?"

The Head Boy simply nodded, and Harry stared at his girfriend.

"Damn, Mr. Malfoy is screwed now. Sucks to be him."  
"Don't say that, Harry," Pansy replied reproachfully. "Lucius Malfoy is-"

But she was cut by Draco's voice:

"Pansy. I ran away from the Dark Lord. You think I care about my father now, really? I'm not a child anymore, I'm not scared of him. Nothing that he can do to me can be worse than what the Dark Lord plans on doing when he gets his hands on me."

She didn't reply.

"I couldn't care less," he said as he started to walk towards the doors.

Pansy tried to follow him, but Harry prevented her from doing so by taking her hand in his.

"Let it go, honey," he repeated sotfly.  
"But, Harry-"  
"I know you're worrying for him, but listen. He said it himself that there is no way on Earth this could be happening, so what else do you need?"

Pansy didn't reply, for she didn't want a fight with her boyfriend after such a lovely evening, but she still disagreed. As she had glanced at them at the end of the first dance, staring at each others, she had seen something in their glares. A tiny but shinning sparkle that she had never seen anywhere else than in Harry's green eyes.

Love.

* * *

When Hermione came back after wishing a good night to each of her friends, Draco was already in the common room, staring in silence at the flames in the fireplace like he often did. He had taken out his cloak and mask, and had threw them carelessly on another couch, but he was still wearing the black suit. His grey eyes didn't even move away from the dancing fire upon hearing her entrance. Actually, he didn't seem to have noticed her at all, as he didn't even threw her an insult as she climbed up the stairs leading to her private bedroom. She turned when she reached the wooden door with golden letters carving her name on it, and stared at him in silence. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice that too.

_Unfairly beautiful_. This was how she had always seen him. Why did God, or fate, or whoever, had given such beauty to someone with such personality? Why giving such an angelic and pure allure to someone who could be so horrible? Was he truly sorry for everything that had happened last year? Hermione wanted to believe it, even though she thought it was pretty unlikely. _He's certainly not sorry for insulting you and your friends all the time_...

"What're you staring at?" Draco's voice snapped, as he finally noticed that she was looking at him quite intensely.

_A mistake of nature_, she thought. _A devil who's been given the body of an angel_.

"Nothing," she managed to reply, turning her back on him as she entered her bedroom and dropped on her bed.

She sighed to herself and threw her glittering mask somewhere on the floor.

_I hate you for being so beautiful and such a jerk at the same time_.

Downstairs, Draco slightly smiled. Another short moment of freedom. So it _did_ work. His grey eyes moved towards the Head Girl's bedroom. Fighting with her gave him very little moments of almost perfect freedom. So if he could manage to reach the perfect freedom thanks to her, if he could be completely free for just one seconde, then the Imperius Curse would be broken, and his best friend's life would be spared - or at the very least, he wouldn't be the one leading Harry to his death.

But how could he do that? Obviously, he would have to trigger a particularly intense fight by making her very angry. Their usual quarrels weren't enough to allow him to break free from Voldemort's curse, or else he would already be free by now. A crazy thought slipped into his mind as she walked down the stairs, heading for the bathroom. A smirk creeped on his lips as he stood up. _That_ should do it. As she passed next to him, he grabbed her hand to stop her.

"What's gotten into you, Malfoy?" she asked as she turned, frowning at him. "Let me go alr-"

Her sentence suddenly died in her throat as she was kissed - yes, _kissed_ - by Draco. At first, her chocolate eyes widened, but they quickly closed like the Slytherin's. After a short while, Draco moved back, ready to be pushed away, slapped and insulted - and, hopefully, to be freed from the Imperius Curse. However, Hermione's reaction was nothing he had expected.

She kissed him back.

**End of the chapter:** There you go!! Hope you guys liked that one too, even though it was a bit shorter than I wanted it ;)


	17. Hide and Seek

**ajerickson: **Hehe ^^ hope you won't do rehab for this addiction ;)

**tfobmv18:** Thanks! The answer lies in this chapter of course.

**MargueriteHOL:** Yup, I did. I'm glad the whole Harry and Panst stuff works for you, although it wasn't really the point of the story but it's good to see I'm not the only one getting used to it.

**.:** I had to wait to introduce Hermione because Draco wasn't ready for Hermione yet. The whole point of his friendship with Harry is to change him enough so Dramione can happen ;) But I'm glad you like it anyway :D (thanks for the comment about the reviews too, although I don't mind about it that much: 77 is good for me, and I understand that there are so many Dramione fics out there that mine can easily go unoticed ;) )

**sweet-tang-honney:** Thanks!

**Chapter 17: Hide and Seek**

Hermione dug her thin fingers into his white blond hair and kissed him back. He didn't push her away, though: because _this_ too was working. He felt just like he did when they were having an argument: almost free. Somewhere in the corner of his brain, Draco figured that, too, was because of his hate for her. The idea that it was only because Pansy was right didn't even cross his mind, as he held her warm body tightly against his own.

"Why...?" she managed to whisper after they finally pulled apart, but he forced her to remain silent with a pale finger on her pink lips.  
"Stop asking questions," he whispered back before capturing her mouth with his own in an ardent kiss.

It was not the time to chat - not to mention that she wouldn't like his answer at all, and he couldn't afford to stop what they were doing, for as they kissed again, he felt _it_ again. This feeling, this impression that he was slipping away from Voldemort's Imperius Curse, just like the water slips away from one's fingers. _Almost there_. They fell on a velvet couch, and suddenly, their hands were everywhere. _Freedom_. She tore apart his expensive black shirt, exposing his pale torso and the Dark Mark on his fair forearm, but she didn't seem to mind or even notice the black Mark. He was getting closer, he knew it.

The leather corset flew in the air, landing somewhere on the floor. _Almost... please..._ She gasped in surprise and a little bit in pain when he inverted their positions, making both of them collapse on the hard floor. Draco could feel that the Dark Lord's control over his mind was getting weaker every minute now. Hermione's hands got rid of his belt, and it almost fell into the fire as she randomly threw it over her shoulder. _Please let me break free_.

Hermione whimpered as he thrusted into her for the very first time, causing her quite a great deal of pain, but the pain quickly disappeared to be replaced by pleasure. With every of her moan, every wave of pleasure that hit his own body, he felt closer and closer to his victory in his battle against the Dark Lord. Her back arched violently as she let go a scream stronger than the others.

_Please_.

Draco held her extremely tightly, and she felt his teeth on her shoulder as he reached the climax with her. Panting, they stared at each others in silence for a while, and she gave him a soft, very sincere smile, and then he realised how far he had gone just for the sake of trying to be free.

_Shit_.

* * *

"Harry," Draco whispered the next morning, sitting next to his best friend. "Can I tell you something that you won't repeat to anyone, even Pansy?"  
"I won't tell," he replied as he frowned, "But I can't swear she won't just guess it."  
"She won't. But if she does, just say you have no idea what the fuck she's talking about."  
"You know I can't lie to her. She just _knows_ it when I do."

Draco rolled his grey eyes.

"All right, all right, I won't tell her and I'll lie if I have too."  
"One day, I'll teach you Occlumency," Draco commented.  
"Occluwhat?"  
"Occlumency. The art of keeping your mind... oh, never mind that."

He sighed.

"Harry, have you ever..."

Draco hesitated, not sure how he was supposed to ask his question. He looked around to make sure no one was looking or listening at them.

"How can I say... have you ever... _you know_... with a girl... and wished that never happened when you woke up the next morning?"

Cheese omelet fell from his fork as he stared at his best friend, both in disbelief and in shock.

"What? You mean have sex? No, that never happened to _me_, you know I've been dating Pansy for almost three years now, she's the only one I've ever - wait, what the _fuck?_ You?! Who was that?"  
"I didn't say it happened to me," Draco said on the defensive.  
"Draco, for Merlin's sake, I know you wouldn't ask such a question just to start a normal morning conversation."  
"All right, all right," Draco hissed back, "Maybe it _did_ happen to me. What am I supposed to do now?"  
"What? Why are you asking me? The hell if I know!"  
"I'm asking _you_ because you're my best friend and because you have - erm - _experience_."  
"Experience?" Harry repeated as he glanced at Draco through his round-shaped glasses. "Look, _maybe_, but it's completely different. Pansy and I... I never wished that had never happened."

He frowned.

"By the way, you didn't reply when I asked who it was you made love with."  
"Never mind! And it was just... meaningless, you know."  
"Well I'm sorry but I have no _experience_ at all in meaningless sex. I can't really help you there."

Draco sighed heavily, and Harry arched an eyebrow.

"You sure that was meaningless? I mean you look like you _care_ a lot."  
"I'm sure it was, dammit! I just don't know what's gotten into me - I hate her."

Harry blinked several times.

"No fucking way," he muttered.  
"What?"  
"Hermione Granger."  
"What? No, how dare you!"

No matter how good of an Occlumens he was, his friend didn't believe his lie.

"It is Hermione Granger. She's the only girl that you hate. Or that you're supposed to hate."  
"I didn't touch that filthy Mudblood!"  
"Great, then who was it?"

Draco opened his mouth, but no name came to his mind. Harry rolled his eyes.

"If Occlumency is the art of hidding your lies, remind me to find someone else that you if I ever want to learn about it."

* * *

Meanwhile, Hermione had sat at the Gryffindor table.

"What's wrong, Hermione?" Parvati Patil asked, pouring herself a cup of coffee.  
"I just... erm..."

She looked around and bobbed down.

"Don't know what's gotten into me," she whispered.  
"What're you talking about?"  
"I sort of... lost control last night."  
"Lost control? If you've been under the Imperius Curse, then you should-"  
"No, it had nothing to do with that."

She blushed.

"I was just... with him and then he kissed me and then I don't know, everything went crazy-"

Parvati's mouth opened so wide that Hermione feared she might have broken her jaw.

"No?! Don't tell me you've - I mean, really?"  
"I told you, I don't know what's gotten into me! Usually we're always fighting and then out of nowhere he did _that_."

She moaned and hid her face behind her hands.

"And I see him every day! What's he going to think of me now? And if people learn it, what will they say? Parvati, what am I supposed to do?!"

Her friend smiled and took a sip of coffee.

"Mione, seriously... the whole school's been expecting that for years. I think people actually bet on it."  
"What?!" Hermione asked, offusqued.

How could people actually expect Draco Malfoy and herself to have sex so much that they'd _bet_ on it?! Was she out of her mind?

"Hermione, really. Everyone noticed that Ron and you-"

Out of nowhere, Hermione started to laugh so loud that half of the Gryffindor students turned their heads towards her - even some Hufflepuff reacted, frowning at her as if they thought she was crazy.

"Ron? You thought I was talking about Ron?"

Pärvati frowned.

"Well, yes. _Who_ were you talking about then?"  
"Erm..."

But Ron chose this very specific moment to drop on the bench right in front of them.

"Hello," he said, having no idea that he had just interrupted a very private and potentially embarrassing conversation. "What's up?"

He stared at his best friend.

"What made you blush so much?"  
"My fault," Parvati quickly replied in order to cover her friend. "I was telling her about my evening with Seamus. Gave too many details."  
"Ew, spare me! I haven't even eaten yet!"

As Ron turned his head on the right to ask something to someone else, Hermione's lips uttered a silencious "thank you". Parvati gave her a small nod of her head, but her mind was running. Who could this be, then, if it wasn't Ron Weasley? Who could be this boy that Hermione saw everyday, and would be ashamed of having sex with? Her eyes moved towards the other side of the Great Hall, where a blond Slytherin was having a conversation with a dark-haired one. Could it be the Head Boy?

* * *

At the end of the day, when Hermione finally came back from her ancient runes class, Draco was already there, looking at the fireplace. She cleared her throat and sat on a armchair, as far from him as she could. There was a long, pretty awkward silence as none of them seem to know what to say to the other, or to do in his presence.

Draco's eyes were gazing at the fire, but his brain didn't see the flames, as his mind was too busy thinking about what had happened the night before. He had kissed her in hope that it would make her angry enough to trigger a fight powerful enough to break Voldemort's control on his mind, but they had ended up "fighting" a much, erm, _different_ way. He had felt extremely close to freedom, and yet it had not worked as he hoped. What scared him the most wasn't really how far he had gone just for the sake of being free, but the way she had looked at him and smiled at him after. _Don't tell me the Mudblood..._

"Malfoy," her voice spoke, bringing him back on Earth. "I think we have to... speak. You know."  
"Well I disagree. Just forget it."  
"You can't just pretend nothing happened. It _did_ happen, and we'll have to face it. We can't play hide and seek forever."  
"As a matter of fact, yes we can. Just watch me going in my bedroom and pretend you don't even exist."

He climbed up the stairs towards his bedroom.

"Excuse me but this is not going to happen! Who the hell do you think you are?"

Hermione followed Draco upstairs. He sighed and turned in the door frame, staring at her.

"You think you can just toy with people like that?"  
"I don't toy with - what the fuck are you trying to say?"  
"Then how do you call that?!"

_Hope_, he thought. _Desesperate attempt to spare my friend's life_. But his mouth would not speak these words.

"Freedom," he managed to whisper, almost inaudible to her.

**End of the chapter:** HAHAAAAA again I prove my cruelty as a writer by ending the chapter there! Hope you liked it :D


	18. It had to be you

**padfootsgrl79:** Lol! Yes, I know I can be pretty cruel when I write :D

**tfobmv18: **Thank you!! Sorry if that was a bit longer than usual... (but, Christmas, and all that...)

**sweet-tang-honney:** Thanks!

**United-girl: **I knew people would expect that :D did it on purpose of course... 'cause I'm EVIL! :P

**lucyferr:** How rude towards Draco! ;) I see that you commented on the 2nd chapter so I take it this is the last you read. While I kinda agree with you that Ron is sometimes an ass in JKR's books, I disagree to call Draco an ass here. He is an arrogant little brat who likes bullying others because that's how he's been raised (I'd bet my life that Lucius was a bully too), but I wouldn't go as far as calling him an ass. You must not forget that he's only eleven in those chapters, and that's pretty much the way he was in the canon - he grows up after. Plus, an ass would not give an obviously lost Harry advices (yes, for Draco's point of view, these were real advices and he was trying to help his new friend), and would not, knowing that his life with the Dursley totally sucks, invite him for Christmas so he could have a nice holiday for once (Lucius was cold as you'd expect, but still ok overall, and Narcissa was very nice to Harry). As for having Harry, Hermione and Neville sorted to Hufflepuff, in my humble opinion, that would be impossible. Had they not been Gryffindors, only Neville could be Hufflepuff - Hermione would be Ravenclaw (as stated in HP5, when she says the hat almost sent her there) and I truly believe Harry would be Slytherin.

**David Flishwick:** Hi, thank you! ^^ I try to make my characters true to themselves and interesting. The hardest to write is actually Hermione, because I'm so much in my Slytherin mind with Draco, Pansy and the new Harry that it's kinda hard to get in the Gryffindor-know-it-all mind XD

**MargueriteHOL:** Yup, I did! As for you question, hehe...

**Molly Goode:** Thank you!!

**Chapter 18: It had to be you**

Hermione frowned.

"Freedom?" she asked hesitantly. "What are you talking about?"

He stared at her with a glimpse of sadness in his grey eyes.

"It's everywhere when you're there... it's in your voice, in your eyes, on your skin... of all people, it had to be _you_..."

She moved back. He was actually starting to scare her, for the first time.

"I think I'll leave you alone for a while, like you said-"

But before she could turn her back on him, he stepped forward and grabbed her arm.

"No, please!"  
"Let go of me Malfoy. _Now_."

Hermione freed herself and stepped back.

"And you're the one who told me that you'd, how did you say? Oh, yes: that you'd go in your bedroom and pretend I don't even exist. Make up your mind, dammit Malfoy!"  
"I've nev-"

But as he spoke, he remembered that his mouth had said these words, although he had never truly wanted it. It was the Dark Lord speaking with his voice, just like it was when he lied to everyone about running away. If he wanted to keep her away from Draco, then it was because he had noticed that the Slytherin was slowly slipping away from his grasp when she was around. _Then it can truly work... or else he wouldn't waste his time..._

"Just don't go, please," he said.

Draco Malfoy, begging a Mudblood to stay nearby him? The situation was certainly at its worst for the Head Boy. He took her face between his hands: she tried to move back again, but he still managed to capture her lips with his own. At first, she tried to push him away, but she quickly surrendered the fight and kissed him back.

It was as if it was all she had ever wanted, yet she feared that he'd turn his back on her again the next day. It was the most unlogical thing to do to give herself to him again, knowing that he probably wouldn't care this time again, and Hermione was the most logical girl in the entire school, and yet... yet, Draco's kiss had wiped away from her brain any rational thought.

* * *

The next morning, Hermione sighed heavily when she noticed that she was alone in Draco's room.

_Well_, the annoying, arrogant voice of logic said in her mind. You c_an't actually say I didn't warn you, can you?_

She rubbed her sleepy eyes - for she didn't really have much time to _sleep_ last night - and grunted as she sat in the bed. Hermione stared in silence at her reflection in Draco's mirror. _You know what?_ she thought towards her own face. _I hate you. No, really. I do_. The Head Girl sighed ahain and managed to retrieve her clothes that were pretty much all over the place thanks to Draco. She had put on her uniform skirt and was halfway buttoning her white shirt when Draco entered the bedroom, drying his blond hair with a black towel - she hadn't even noticed that the shower was being used. She tried to ignore him, figuring that it was what he wanted. Quite honestly, she would've left the bedroom by now if she wasn't looking for her Gryffindor tie. Draco smirked in her back.

"You're not really going to give me the cold shoulder, are you?" he asked, taking her left hand in his.

She froze for a short while, then turned to him with her eyebrows very high and her red and golden tie (that he had just found behind the mirror) in her other hand.

"I was under the impression that _you _were the don't-call-me-and-all-that type," she said reproachfully.  
"Let's say that out of here, yes I am. Here, alone with you... no I won't."  
"You're ashamed of being with me," she replied harshly.

It wasn't even a question, but he still shook his head in answer.

"You really want to be seem around the school with me?"

Hermione didn't reply, but she thought about her friends. She thought about Ron, Lavender, Ginny, and even Parvati. None of them would still want to be her friend if they ever learned she was in love with Draco Malfoy, especially not Ron and Ginny. Their families were enemies, and they'd never forgive her for dating a Malfoy.

"I'll take your silence as a no."

He kissed her cheek, and moved away to look for something in his drawer. Hermione stood still, staring at him and looking dumbfounded. Where was that sudden change in his attitude coming from? Had he hit his head or something last night?

* * *

"You're late," Pansy noticed when he sat at the Slytherin table.  
"No, I'm just..."

His eyes met his watch, and noticed that he had exactly ten minutes to eat and rush to his potions class.

"Ok I'm late," he admitted, quickly grabbing something to eat.  
"Looks like someone else is late, too," Pansy said, smirking as she glanced over Draco's shoulder.

The Slytherin boy frowned and turned, only to see Hermione running towards her own table, dropping on the bench and blushing under her friends' questions. He quickly turned back to look at Harry and Pansy. Harry hadn't looked up from his copy of the _Daily Prophet_, and Pansy's smirk grew bigger.

"How _odd_," she said, "That the Head Boy and the Head Girl are _both_ late in the same morning..."  
"Ever heard the word coicidence?"  
"Let it go, Pansy," Harry said for the hundreth time.

Pansy sighed, shot her boyfriend a deadly glare, and left, looking outraged. Harry shook his head and looked at his best friend.

"She hates it when I say that. Please tell me I didn't just win myself two weeks of abstinence for nothing."

Draco didn't reply.

"At least make my sacrifice worth something by telling me why you're late?"  
"All right, maybe I was with her."  
"Maybe?" Harry asked, arching an eyebrow. "I thought that meant nothing and you didn't want it to happen in the first place in-"  
"I know perfectly what I said!" Draco hissed to him, irritated. "I just... there's something about her... and why the hell does it have to be her?"  
"Something about her that makes you crazy?" Harry suggested, scratching his head.  
"Well, yes but not really - I mean it's not actually _crazy_... but it's... delightful."  
"There's a word for that. It's called love."  
"I don't love her!"  
"You certainly don't _hate_ her," Harry replied as he shrugged. "No matter what you say."

At the other side of the large room, Hermione stood up and left, but her gaze wandered a bit on the Slytherin table.

"And she certainly doesn't hate you either."  
"You spent too much time with Pansy," Draco finally replied, also standing up to leave for his potions class.

* * *

"Surprise exam today," Snape's cold voice said as soon as he closed the door.

Ron sighed heavily.

"I'm taking ten points away from Gryffindor - please refrain yourself from showing such enthusiasm in the future, Weasley."

Draco smirked, and waited for Snape to give him the potions he was supposed to identify and describe. He wasn't scared of this surprise exam, since he had always been very good at potion making - most of the others had first thought it was only because he was Snape's favourite, but the day he had received his Outstanding O.W.L. from the Ministry, they had shut the hell up about it.

Just a bunch of jealous people anyway.

Draco quickly identified every potion, and took his time in writing everything he knew about each of them. As long as his grey eyes stared at the parchment, they wouldn't wander around the class room and they had no chance to stare at _her_.

One hour after the beginning, his hand reached for the last bottle given by Snape. He opened it, and his face lost its bored and serious expression when the smell of the potion reached his nose.

It was _everything_. Everything, from the smell of Dobby's apple pie to the delicious scent of the sea, the cold breeze that caressed his skin when he was up in the sky playing Quidditch, and... and... he frowned. It was also something soft and unique. A perfume that brought warmth into his whole body and yet sent chills down his spine. His hand shook, his eyes closed, but he didn't move more than that and slowly, deeply breathed in.

It was the scent that reached his nose when he kissed her skin, the scent that lasted on his clothes and skin when he held her so tight against his own body that he could almost break her bones. It remembered him of her hair tickling his neck and her voice begging him not to stop, screaming his name so loud she could've broken the window.

"Mione," he whispered for himself with a dreamy smile.

Fortunately, no one heard him, but they certainly heard the noise of the bottle breaking on the floor. Draco himself was so surprised that he moved back and almost fell off his chair.

"Sorry," he muttered for Snape.  
"The good thing is," the master of potions coldly replied, "Judging from that expression of yours, if you didn't recognize that potion before dropping it on the floor, then you'll never recognize it anyway."

Someone chuckled in his back as he took back his feather.

_Amortentia_, he wrote. _The most powerful love potion in the world that_... Draco sighed, and looked at Hermione with the corner of his eyes. ..._that_ _smells just like what everyone loves the most_.

He sighed again and glanced at her.

_And it had to be you_.

**End of the chapter: **Ok, so sorry for taking longer than usual, and all that... but it was Christmas you know :D hope you had a nice one, and hope you like this chapter!!! :D


	19. Confessions of a free man

**tfobmv18:** Thank you! ^^ The answer to your question lies in the first lines of this chapter (can't say I'm not nice :P)

**WhiteTigerXOXO:** Yes it meant it to be sweet ^^ so thanks!

**sweet-tang-honney:** Yayyy I went from great to brilliant!

**David Fishwick:** Thank you for the nice comment :)

**padfootsgrl79:** I agree, that fits a snowy day a lot!

**MargueriteHOL:** Yes, I figured that I'd spare you this time - after all, to many cliffhangers kills the cliffhangers (or the readers, which is even worse :D)

**ajerickson21:** Ah, I was wondering where you were! ;) I'm glad you still like my story!

**United-girl:** Well, I am not stupid enough to give a spoiler about my own fic, but as I am very kind, I will tell you that the answer is in your review. And that this chapter's title kinda points the finger at the good one, too XD

**Chapter 19: Confessions of a free man**

Hermione's hand was writting on her parchment at incredible speed. If she could manage to finish before the end of the class, then she would have free time to study before her Ancient Runes exam that took place right after her potions lesson. "Yeah, like you need it - I'm sure you stayed up all night for that," would've said Ron if she had spoken to him about it. But, of course - Hermione mentally sighed - after that, she could not possibly reply that indeed, she had been up almost all night, but that she had spent this time in his worst enemy's bedroom, could she? Of course not. _I'm totally going to get a T for this Ancient Runes exam_, she thought nervously. But now was not the best time to have such dark thoughts in her mind, or else she would end up getting a T for this exam _as well_.

The Head Girl hastily picked the last potion given by Snape. Judging by its colour, she already had an idea of what it was, but she still opened the bottle. She brought it closer and shortly, carefully sniffed it. Her eyes immediately closed as she took a deeper breath, not to identify the potion - for it was clearly Amortentia, as she had guessed without even opening the bottle - but only to enjoy its delicious scent. Suddenly, she had forgotten how much she wanted to leave quickly. The smell was - or were, as there were actually more than one scent in that bottle - so powerful that it brought images in her head.

Freshly cut grass on a sunny summer day... an old parchment covered with ink, that she read over and over again to make sure it was perfect enough to be given to a teacher... and (she blushed just by thinking about it) warm arms wrapping around her body, pressing her breast against a pale and toned torso, incredibly blond and soft hair under her fingers, and even the sound of a voice expressing an intense pleasure with her own, even the feeling of white teeth nibbling her ear lobe, causing her to shiver and whimper...

"Dray," she murmured for herself, causing Ron to frown and look at her, wondering what the heck she was talking about.

Hermione was brutally brought back to reality with the sound of a bottle being smashed on the floor. She blinked several times and turned, only to see that Draco had dropped his bottle and was merely muttering apologizes to Snape, who - like usual - looked like he couldn't care less. Curious, the Gryffindor girl streched her neck to look at the floor, wondering what potion the Slytherin boy had dropped. It appeared to be the very same potion that she was holding. A subtle smirk creeped on her lips. _Could it be that..._

"What're you smiling about, Mione?" Ron asked in a whisper, cutting the mental voice of Hermione's hope in midsentence.  
"Silence!" Snape's voice barked, even before Hermione could look at her friend.

Ron also streched his neck to see what Draco had dropped. He frowned, and kept on whispering even after Snape's clear warning:

"The Amortentia, right? I wonder what it smells like for him... probably smells like himself, since he thinks he's so great... what does it smell for you? What was that you said earlier?"

Hermione opened his mouth to tell him that this question was far too private, and that he should stop talking if he didn't want detention, but the master of potions never let her the time to do so:

"Weasley," he said, walking towards him, "I'll be taking your exam."  
"What? But I'm not even done y-"  
"You're not? Well since you had time to chat with your friend, I figured you were done. Still, I'll be taking that _now_, along with twenty points from Gryffindor."

He quickly waved his wand, forcing Ron's half-finished surprise exam to fly right towards his opened hand. The Slytherins - which meant roughtly half of the class - chuckled and smirked as Ron crossed his arms.

"Asshole," he said into his beard when he thought Snape couldn't hear him.  
"Fifty points from Gryffindor and two weeks of detention with me shall get rid of your bad mouth, Weasley," the Head of Slytherin coldly said from the other side of the room.  
"Bloody hell..." Ron hissed, dropping his head on the table. "Not my lucky day..."

Hermione merely shook her head, too busy writing everything she knew about Amortentia to tell him that he should have seen that coming from very far away. Since when insulting Snape while he was around had been the best decision one could make in his day? Having finished her test, she stood up and headed to the front of the class to hand it to Snape. He gave her a nod, clearly meaning that she was free to leave his classroom, and she turned towards the door.

"Wait," Ron's low voice said as he raised his head from the wooden table and noticed she was about to leave. "I'm coming with you - not like I have any reason to stay."

She stopped in front of the door frame, waiting impatiently for him to gather his stuff, something that took him even more time than Lavender Brown needed to get herself ready in the morning, which meant a _lot_ of time.

"Hey," a much colder voice than Ron's said.

Hermione froze. The voice was icy and arrogant, but she knew it could also be warm and soft, which somehow hurt her even more.

"Move over, Mudblood," Draco said, his bag on his shoulder. "You're in my way."

Hermione turned to him and opened her mouth, ready to tell him that there was no need for him to be such an asshole, but when her eyes met Draco's, it reminded her that they were still supposed to hate each others in public.

"Sorry, your _Majesty_," her bitter voice snapped back, stepping aside and giving him a false, mocking bow as she forced her lips to smirk. "I hadn't realised your mighty Grace was behind me."  
"I love it when people like _you_ know their place," Malfoy replied as he left, smirking too.  
"You little piece of-" Ron started, ready to fight with the Head Boy.  
"Ron, don't," Hermione said, cutting him in the middle of his sentence and holding him back. "Two weeks of detention and seventy points away from Gryffindor isn't enough for you?"  
"I can't stand this little brat insulting you!"

Under Snape's threatening look as he walked towards them, Hermione grabbed Ron's shirt and forced him to follow her outside the classroom, in a much safer and Snape-free area.

"Calm down, Ron, for heaven's sake. Don't get into troubles for me, especially not just because of Malfoy's insults. It isn't worth it."

_You're worth everything_, he almost replied, but he bit his tongue at the right moment.

"Why do you always keep on defending him?"  
"I do not!" she said, slightly blushing. "I just don't want you to spent the rest of your last year at Hogwarts inside Snape's office doing detention. Malfoy's always called me a Mudblood, he does it all the time in our common room. Do you really think I still care? Do you really think it affects me like it did when he called me Mudblood for the first time five years ago?"  
"W... well, not when you say it like that, but you don't have to let him-"  
"I don't _let him_," Hermione replied, sighing. "I just don't think he is worth wasting my time. Now, if you don't mind, I have to go to the library - got some catching up to do with my Ancient Runes before the exam. See you, Ron."  
"See ya," he replied, frowning as she walked away.

Hermione Jean Granger, having some _catching up_ to do? Since when?!

* * *

Draco was sitting on his favourite armchair, staring - like he did so often now - at the fire dancing in front of him. What the hell was happening? Since the ball, he had been trying hard to convince himself that his actions had nothing to do with having feelings for her, that he was doing it only for the sake of being free. _It is my freedom that I love, not her. And I need her to get my freedom back. _But this whole theory had just crumbled to the ground with Snape's stupid exam.

The Amortentia, the world's most powerful love potion. He had never smelled it before, and he had no idea this scent - or any scent, for that matter - could be so powerful and delightful. Furthermore, he had no idea it would smell like _her_. And yet, it had sent chills all over his body and took him so far away from Snape's classroom that he had dropped the potion of the floor, something that never happened - he was Draco Malfoy, not Neville Longbottom! He had even whispered her name, and was still thanking Merlin that no one had heard him. Draco shook his head. This could _not_ be happening.

He was a Slytherin! He was a _Pure Blood_, the only heir of the two greatest wizard families, the Black and the Malfoy - so many people would smack their forehead in their graves if he was to fall in love with someone that was no Pure Blood. And she couldn't be Half-Blood, no, of course, she had to be a fucking _Mudblood!_ Countless of generations of Black and Malfoy would be cursing at him and crossing their fingers to wish him a long and painful death if he touched her... he smiled, reminding himself of his two nights with her. If he touched her _again_, let's say.

_I just want to be free_.

But, as an annoying voice in his head kept saying, this couldn't be just that. If it was, then he doubted the Amortentia would smell like her, and if it was... well... he wouldn't have felt that bad about insulting her, back in Snape's class. Oh, of course, he had looked perfectly fine doing it - Bellatrix had sure proven herself extremely useful when she had taught him Occlumency - but inside, he was yelling at himself and hating himself for treating her like that in public after the moments they shared.

_There's a word for that_, his best friend's voice said in his mind. _It's called love_.

Draco's grey eyes moved away from the fire and stared at a mirror on the wall.

"Falling in love with a Mudblood," he hissed towards his own reflection. "Can't you do just _one thing_ correctly?"

He turned when the door opened on an exhausted Hermione. He had always wonderer how the heck she could survive and breath under all those classes she had taken. She dropped on a couch next to his armchair, staring at him in silence for a short while, then finally decided to speak:

"Was it truly necessary?"

Draco arched an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about?"  
"Down there, in Snape's class. You didn't have to be such a jerk."

He shrugged, trying to look as if he didn't really care.

"As a matter of fact, I did. You think it wouldn't look suspicious if I started to be nice, all of a sudden? I'm _not_ a nice person, you know."

She slowly shook her head.

"This isn't true."

He gave her a short, humourless laugh.

"You think I'm an angel? Get down on Earth."  
"No," she replied. "I think you're someone sensitive hidding behind a wall of ice that is meant to be rock solid but that can melt any time."

Draco smirked.

"Me, _sensitive?_ Spare me."  
"Then why couldn't you obey Voldemort or face his punishment like the other Death Eaters do? Better yet, why were you unable to kill Dumbledore by yourself when he was facing you?"  
"'Cause I'm a coward," he said harshly. "That's what you want to hear?"

She bit her bottom lip, but did not speak.

"Sensitive," he mumbled in his inexistant beard. "What next? You'll think I'm in love with you?"

He shouldn't have said that, as he realised as soon as the words left his mouth. He had never wanted to say it, yet his lips had pronounced this sentence - perhaps there was a bit of the Dark Lord's will in his words. It was hard for him now to tell what he was doing and saying by himself and what Voldemort forced him to do and say. Hermione didn't reply and didn't move. Instead, she just stared at him with a very sad look and her chocolate eyes that were clearly saying "You disappoint me like I've never been in my whole life". Draco let go a "tcha!" or something like that, then spoke again:

"Why are you looking at me like that?"  
"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU YOU _IDIOT!_" she said with a piercing voice, standing up. "So much that it scares the crap outta me and I'm even more scared when I don't know what the FUCK is going on in your head! You kiss me, you make love to me, you ditch me, you beg me not to leave, you kiss me and make love to me again, and then you're a jerk again even here! Make up your damn mind, I am _not_ your fucking toy!"  
"You _love_ me?" he replied, also standing up. "Don't make me laugh, no one can love me! I'm an arrogant son of a bitch, remember? Not to mention that I am, as you said yourself so many times, a Death Eater! You can't love me," he continued as he was rolling up his sleeve, "Because then it'd mean that you can love _THAT_ too!"

She took a step forward him. Unlike Harry when he had seen the Mark of the first time, her eyes didn't move away from the Dark Mark or from Draco - she just keep staring at him with those eyes where tears were starting to shine.

"And you _can't!_ Someone like _you_ can't possibly love that! He kills people like you every day, _we_ kill people like you every fucking day!"  
"You're not that anymore," she said.

Inside, Draco felt his heart shattering into pieces like a glass smashed on the floor. It wasn't even him speaking, it was all the Dark Lord, who obviously wanted to get rid of Hermione Granger before Draco successfully broke free from him because of her. But she _did_ believe him... she had faith in him, like no one had ever have... and yet it was all a lie. Even though he insulted her so many times, she believed him, she trusted him - but this wasn't even true. He had never run away. His whole body was shaking under the pressure and he was terribly confuse. His heart wanted to yell her his feelings, his head said it was ridiculous to show love to a Mudblood, and Voldemort... Voldemort wanted her to get out of Draco's life.

And this is how he made his decision.

"Draco?" she said as she took another step forward, obviously worrying about his absent look and shaking body.  
"I love you," he managed to whisper.

He fell on the floor in front of her, like a puppet whose ropes had been cut. He smiled for himself, hands clenching in fists under his will - and _only_ his will. _A puppet whose ropes have been cut_, he repeated in his head, smiling. _Precisely_. His eyes moved up towards Hermione, who looked extremely unsure. He couldn't blame her - he had been quite hard to follow lately. But it was over now. _It's over now_. He stared at her.

"I love you," he said again, more firmly than the first time.

Suddenly, he stood up and gave her the wildest, most passionnate kiss she had ever been given. He could finally taste her, touch her and fully enjoy the moment.

"I love you," Draco murmured to her ear for the third time as he hugged her more tightly than ever. "Please believe the words of a free man..."  
"A free-"

Then, he abruptly moved back, and took something out of his pocket. It was Voldemort's magic mirror, and he immediately threw it in the dancing flames. Draco took Hermione's confused face between his pale hands. They were shaking - he could hardly believe it was all real. _She saved me. She really did_.

"I've got to go and see McGonagall," he said. "But I promise you I'll be back quickly and I won't have changed my mind."

Without giving her the time to speak, he kissed her again and ran outside.

* * *

Free. Draco was free at last. Harry's life would be spared, Voldemort couldn't contact him anymore to put him under his control again, but still, there was one last thing he had to do. This was the good thing to do, he was sure - and it had to be done as soon as possibly.

"Reminiscences," he said to the gargoyle leading to the headmistress' office.

When he knocked on the door, she didn't speak: instead, she stood up and opened for him.

"Mr. Malfoy?" she said, staring at him and frowning. "I don't remember us having an appointment."  
"We don't," he quickly replied, "But I have to speak to you right now. It's an emergency."

She stepped aside to let him enter the office.

"Please have a seat."  
"I don't need a seat. Listen, this is very important. Do you know about the Room of Hidden Things?"

McGonagall frowned, but Dumbledore nodded behind her.

"If I may interrupt, I do," he said. "It is the form taken by the Room of Requirement when people need a place to hide something."  
"Well there's a Vanishing Cabinet in there, it must be destroyed right now!"  
"Mr. Malfoy, would you have the kindness of explaining yourself?" the headmistress asked, irritated. "I know that cabinet, it's been broken for years. No need to worry."  
"No, I mean yes, I know it was broken, I repaired it myself! The cabinet in there is part of a set. It's a pair, and the other one's in Barjow and Beurk! If you enter inside either of them, you will appear in the other one! This is how I had the Death Eaters inside the castle last year, this is how the Dark Lord had me back here this year, and this is how they are planning on getting here by the end of the yea-"

She raised a calm hand to stop him, her eyes suddenly cold.

"This is how _Voldemort_ had you back here? What do you mean, I thought you ran away!"  
"I lied, I mean _he_ made me lie. I've been under the Imperius Curse ever since Bellatrix brought me to Voldemort last year."  
"And I am supposed to believe you now, of course?"  
"Minerva, don't be so rude with the boy. Draco, would you please tell us how you broke free from Voldemort's control? I am most curious to know, I must admit."  
"I... I don't really know."  
"You broke the Imperius Curse and have no idea how you did?" Minerva asked, her voice getting colder and colder.  
"All I know is that I noticed that He... _someone _was making me feel almost free, all right? I've been trying to break free ever since I noticed that. And tonight..."

He blushed, although he did his best to hid it.

"Well it worked."

McGonagall didn't seem to believe him, and looked like she seriously considered sending an owl to the Aurors so they would come and get him, but, then again, Dumbledore nodded behind her.

"I see," he said softly. "It seems that you found, perhaps without even knowing it, Voldemort's greatest flaw thanks to this... special someone."

He looked gently to the Slytherin staring at him.

"Voldemort does not know love," he continued. "He has never been loved by anyone, and has never loved anyone either. He could control your words and acts with the Imperius Curse, but not your feelings. Because love is something he has never felt, he doesn't understand it at all. Gifted wizard that he is, powerful and sincere love would surely allow a victim to slip away from his fingers, especially from distance."

Dumbledore smiled kindly to him.

"It looks like love has saved another innocent life," he finally said, his smile growing even bigger.

**End of the chapter:** Again, I spared you for the cliffhanger XD I know the title was probably not very subtle, but, oh well, I've had this title in mind for weeks now so the hell with it!! I hope you liked this new chapter :D


	20. The bloodline

**tfobmv18:** Thank you! I'm really glad you liked it :D

**ajerickson21:** Thanks ^^ I must admit that the confession has been written in my head for weeks - like, I knew how it was going to happen ever since I started writing the fanfic :D (I'm learning to plan my stuff before I start writing a story, it's the best way I found to avoid writer's block, which tends to induce readers' frustration XDD)

**David Fishwick:** Well I'm enjoying myself too writing this ^^ but thanks a lot for reading :D

**padfootsgrl79:** ^^ I'm glad this chapter had a good timing then ;)

**writerbabe8790:** I will will will will will! ;)

**MargueriteHOL:** Took a lot of will power yes, but he absolutely had to let McGonagall know about the Cabinets, or else Voldemort was free to come in the school any time to regain control of Draco and kill Harry ^^

**LadySol:** Thanks a lot for the correction ^^ I'll change it as soon as I can!

**sweet-tang-honney:** Thank you :D

**xxkandyangelxx:** Thanks a lot for all these nice comments :)

**Chapter 20: The bloodline**

Days and weeks slowly went by. Draco and Hermione was still pretending in front of everyone that everything was perfectly normal. However, they had abandonned the idea of keeping on insulting each others, for this option had proven itself to be way too painful for both of them. They just ignored each others. Only Harry knew the truth, and he also knew that it was his love for Hermione that had saved him from the Imperius Curse, hence saving his own life as well: and, for that, he was starting to think she might not be as much as a pain in the ass as he originally thought she was. Anyone that had been able to love Draco after being treated so badly by him was surely not that bad.

Or just slightly mad, he couldn't decide.

As for Pansy, he had preferred to keep his mouth shut about Hermione, and skipped to the part where he had been freed from Voldemort. She had looked rather suspicious, as if she didn't believe that, all of a sudden, he had managed to push away the Dark Lord from his mind. Well, she was quite right: it was pretty unbelievable, but Draco didn't want to hear her complaining that he'd get in troubles with his father (like he cared) for being with Hermione, so he had just replied:

"Damn, what's your problem? You think I'm too weak to free myself from him?"

Pansy had looked outraged, but had stopped to mention the Imperius story. However, she was disturbingly clever, and had noticed how the Head Boy and Head Girl's attitude towards each other had quickly changed, and she started questionning it. She questionned it so much, actually, that it was extremely annoying and the Slytherin boy felt like he was about to lose his temper any moment now.

Actually, as they reached mid-December, he did. One Sunday morning, as Pansy, Harry and Draco were almost alone for the breakfast, he smacked his copy of the _Daily Prophet_ on the table and sighed heavily.

"What if it was true, Pansy?"  
"Excuse me?"  
"What if you _were_ right? What would you say?"  
"I'd say you're insane," she immediately replied. "I'd say you have enough trouble right now without adding your angry father ontop of it, and I'd finish by saying that I have no fucking idea why you, Draco Malfoy, the boy who could get any Slytherin girl - or any girl, for that matter - would chose to be with _Hermione Granger_. She's a pain in the ass, she's a Gryffindor, she's a Mudblood and she isn't even pretty."

Harry coughed in his coffee and looked at her, almost insulted by her words.

"What do you mean, he could get _any_ Slytherin girl?! You mean _you_-"  
"Don't be silly, Harry, I just meant that there's no need for him-"  
"What if," Draco replied, cutting her the middle of her sentence, "I told you that she might be a Gryffindor, she might even be a _Mudblood_, but I don't care anymore?"

Pansy blinked several times.

"People like us-"  
"You're not really going to preach on me about blood purity with Harry as your boyfriend, are you?" he asked, gaving a sorry nod to his friend, who shrugged to him, meaning he didn't care at all. "As for the house, in a few months now we'll be out of Hogwarts. Who will care?"

Again, she remained speechless - a miracle. The Muggles might be right about one thing, finally: there must be a god somewhere.

"Finally, what if I told you that she's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen? That she's amazingly clever and lovely? That _she_ saved me from the Dark Lord's Imperius Curse? What if I told you all that?"  
"I'd still call you crazy," she slowly replied, shaking her head.  
"Fine. Then call me crazy, but you'll be doing it in my back. I'm going back in my common room."  
"Wait," Harry said as his friend stood up. "You're not coming to Hogsmeade with us?"  
"I can't," he replied, shrugging. "McGonagall doesn't want me to leave the castle and she's crazy enough to spy inside the common room to make sure I'm not going. I'll see you later."

He walked away, leaving Harry and Pansy alone.

"He's crazy," she said. "I mean it."  
"It can't be that bad."  
"It _is!_ Do you have any idea what his father will-"  
"Whatever Mr. Malfoy can do to him is nothing compared to what You-Know-Who is going to do."  
"Well, this isn't going to help him with the Dark Lord either! He is trying to make the whole wizarding world believing that Pure Blood should be controlling everything, do you think he will appreciate that the heir of the Black and the Malfoy, the last male one in case you didn't know, is going out with a Mudblood?"  
"Don't call her that," he said, shaking his head. "She saved Draco you know."  
"That's what she is!"  
"My mother was Muggle-born too," Harry replied very calmly but firmly.

Pansy blinked several times. It was the first time Harry mentioned his mother since his first meal at Hogwarts, where she and Draco had hightly suggested he kept that information for himself.

"And if I remember well, it isn't my grandfather who murdered my parents," he continued, "It's Voldemort."

She grimaced.

"You know I don't like it when you speak his name."  
"Well I will if you call Hermione Granger a Mudblood again. If she's the person Draco loves then we have to respect this."

Pansy frowned, staring at her boyfriend.

"You don't even look _surprised_," she noticed.  
"It's because I don't really mind, unlike you."

Pansy crossed her arms, obviously not falling for it.

"Your best friend just admitted he's dating the girl he's supposed to hate and you don't react? Did you sincerly think I was going to swallow that?"

Harry sighed very lightly. He was already a bad liar to begin with, but when it came to Pansy, it was absolutely no use. It made him wonder why he even bothered trying to fool her.

"All right," he admitted with a low voice. "_Maybe_ he did tell me something was going on..."  
"Maybe?!"  
"Sort of."  
"And you said I was wrong? You called me crazy even if it was true?" she asked, outraged.  
"Draco didn't want me to tell anyone-"  
"I'm your _girlfriend!_"  
"But that's his life! He wanted me to keep it a secret so I did!"

Pansy stood up, irritated.

"Sometimes I wonder if you'd jump off the Astronomy tower on Draco's request," she said, walking away.  
"Wha-wait, Pansy, where are you going? Aren't we going to Hogsmeade?"

Not even turning to face him, she waved her hand in the air, as if she was trying to move away an annoying bug.

"Go with your secrets!" she replied harshly over her shoulder.

Alone, Harry sighed heavily and shook his head. Now that would take a lot of damage control. He had been dating her since their fourth year, and he knew her by heart now. He knew that his girlfriend hated being wrong, stubborn as she was, but there was one thing she hated even more than being wrong: it was to be told she was wrong when she was, in fact, absolutely right.

This would take the greatest present ever and at least three hundred consecutive "I'm sorry".

* * *

Draco frowned when he came back in his common room and saw Hermione, sitting in front of a table, doing homework.

"What are you doing?" he asked, glancing over her shoulder.  
"Transfiguration essay," she replied very calmly. "Why?"

He blinked several times at her.

"Mione, it is absolutely _indecent_ - yes, even for _you_, the ultimate bookworm - to work on McGonagall's last essay instead of going to Hogsmeade and relax."

She slightly blushed.

"I don't feel like going to Hogsmeade," she said.  
"And why is that?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.  
"Because you can't go with me," she finally admitted.

He smiled, looking flattered for a few seconds, then slightly pushed her left shoulder.

"Don't be silly. Go to Hogsmeade with that weas... I mean with your friends and enjoy your day - I don't want you to stay just for me."  
"But-"  
"Not buts! I won't disappear in a few hours you know?" he said, amused.

She dropped her quill and stood up to hug him tightly against her body.

"All right, but I won't stay all day-"

She kissed him.

"-I'll come back in a few hours-"

Her lips begged for another kiss and she smiled.

"Promise," she finally said.

He smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Go. That stupid Squib - I mean _Filch_ - won't let you leave if you're not with the group."

The Head Girl gave him one last smile and left, grabbing her coat as she did. He slightly shook his head, staring at her Transfiguration essay. It already seemed perfect, even though he knew it was only half-finished according to Hermione Granger's standards.

_Transfiguration essay on Hogsmeade's day. You're insane, Mione_, he thought.

* * *

Hours later, he was brought back to reality by the noise of the door opening. His grey eyes gazed up from the book he was reading, hoping to see Hermione, but it was only Harry.

"Hey, hope I'm not interrupting anything," his friend said.  
"I'm alone, if that's what you want to know."  
"Can I ask you for an advice?"

Draco gave a nod towards the couch next to his armchair, clearly asking his best friend to have a seat.

"Thanks," he said, dropping on the purple couch and putting his heavy bag on the floor.  
"Damn, it feels good here, I'm frozen to the bones..."  
"Why did you need an advice for?" Draco asked. "What's that bag?"  
"That's for Pansy."  
"For Pansy? I thought you had already bought her Christmas present."  
"Well yeah but that's different. It's a 'Sorry for lying to you about Draco and Granger, and sorry for being an ass and calling you crazy when you were actually right' gift."  
"Sounds expensive," the Head Boy calmly commented.  
"You bet. I bought many stuff but I can't decide what's the best so I thought I might ask you."

His hand reached for something in the bag.

"So my first idea was a jewel... but I couldn't figure out if it was better to give her a necklace, or earrings, or a ring, and then I couldn't decide what jewel fitted her the best-"

He laid many smalls boxes on the velvet couch, opening them to show Draco shinning earrings and expensive-looking necklaces.

"And then I thought maybe, the jewels were no good, and maybe a perfume would be better. But, then again, I wasn't sure _which_ perfume-"

Draco blinked several times as Harry laid five bottles of different perfumes next to the jewels. He knew Harry's parents had left him lots of money, but _that much?!_

"And then I realised that maybe, a perfume would send the wrong message," Harry continued, "So I went for, I don't know, other stuff..."

And he added almost a dozen of potential gifts to the jewels and perfumes.

"So? Which one?" he finally asked Draco, who was now staring at him with his eyebrows very high.  
"You're asking _me?_ She's your girlfriend, not mine."  
"Well what would you give Hermione if you had to apologize?"  
"You're comparing her to Pansy? Both would be pleased, I'm sure."

He smirked and shook his head.

"Well I don't know. She's a refined girl so I'd go with a jewel but hey, I'm not a reference. I haven't even figured out Mione's Christmas gift yet."  
"You're calling her Mione now?" Harry asked, sounding amused - somehow he had forgotten about his many gifts for Pansy. "Does she call you _Dray?_"

Draco's cheeks turned pink, but he still managed to reply mockingly:

"And what about you, honey? Sugar? Whatever candy she calls you, _darling?_"

He stopped and frowned.

"Wait, what time is it?"  
"About five. Why?"

Draco felt a nod in his stomach as his hot blood was somehow transformed into a cold liquid.

"Have you... by any chance... seen her today?"  
"Who?"  
"Hermione!"  
"No I haven't, I've been shopping for Pansy's present all day long. Why?"

An odd feeling was born in Draco's mind and body at these words, and whatever reassuring thought he tried to find and grab, it wouldn't vanish.

Somehow he felt that something had gone wrong.

"She said she'd be back quickly..." he muttered, much more for himself than for Harry. "I've been reading for hours, I hadn't realised it was so late..."  
"Well she must be on her way back now," he said. "Almost everyone had left when I came back."  
"She said she'd only be in Hogsmeade for a few hours. It's been far more than a few hours now. She should already be here."

He stood up.

"I'm going."  
"What? I thought you couldn't go! And the trip's over, Filch won't let you-"

Draco let go a condescending "tcha!".

"I'd like to see that Squib trying to stop me. If I wanna go check on her, I will."

Before Harry could say anything else, Draco was already running outside the common room. Without even thinking, he ran after his best friend.

**End of the chapter:** Another cliffhanger! Well sort of ^^ I'll be sure to update as quick as I can so you don't kill me :D


	21. Voldemort's servant

**Enilas: **LMAO! XD I'm sorry - wait, I'm not, I'm sure you liked it even if you won't admit ;)

**tfobmv18:** Thanks, I'm glad you liked it!

**sweet-tang-honney:** Thank you.

**ajerickson21**: Hehe ^^ yes, I guess you could say that there is some action in there!

**deator11:** Hello ^^ thanks for you review, sorry if I was long :S

**-typingpictures-:** Yo hablo un poco Espanol tambien ;) but as for the anon who called me an idiot, I had really written "appearing" at the beginning, because I didn't remember how it was and I was quite sure it was it. However I agree that he was quite an idiot, why did he need to insult me for that and not have the guts to log in before he did, I don't know XD

**MargueriteHOL:** Of course I can stop there! I'm the author! I'M ALL MIGHTLY! (XD)

**David Fishwick:** Well thanks a lot ^^ as for Pansy she will eventually, but it's going to take her a while. Right now she's quite pissed that Harry lied to her anyway.

**-typingpictures-, take two:** Thank you for that second and lovely review. As for the reviews I don't really mind (although of course I enjoy them a lot!), I'm guessing it's just because there're so many Dramione out there that mine can easily get lost and unnoticed among that huge ocean :) I'm just happy when someone knew discovers it and appreciates it like you did!

**Chapter 21: Voldemort's servant**

Draco ran down many corridors and stairs, without even paying attention to Harry that - even if he was in good shape - had troubles following him.

"Draco, for Merlin's sake-"  
"Move your ass!" Draco yelled over his shoulder as he pushed the doors of the Entrance Hall.

A very cold wind hit his face and froze him to the bones, as he hadn't taken the time to grab a cloak before leaving the common room, but he didn't care. Something had happened to Hermione, he was sure of it.

"Draco, _wait_, you're gonna end up like a frozen statue-"

The Slytherin boy didn't reply and kept walking in the path leading to Hogsmeade. It was covered with snow that reached his knees, but he still walked very fast, as if he didn't even feel the cold and weight of the snow.

"Hey! You two there! The trip's over, you can't go!" the caretaker's voice raised in their backs.  
"I told you," Harry muttered.  
"And I told you I didn't give a shit - RUN!"

He was so cold he couldn't feel his body anymore: Harry wonderer how his friend managed to run that fast in these conditions. Filch quickly lost them, although he kept yelling "I'll find you!", "You can't hide forever!" and "I know your names - the headmistress will hear about it!" in their backs for quite a long moment.

Out of breath, Draco stopped as they reached the village. His fingers were numb, his legs were so cold that they actually ached a lot, but he didn't take care of that and looked around. Why would she be?

"The Three Broomsticks?" Harry suggested. "It's so cold, maybe she went there with some friends..."

Before Draco could reply, his grey eyes met very red hair getting out Rosemerta's pub. Ronald Weasley - for once, the Head Boy was glad to see him.

"Hey!" he said with a strong voice, running towards the Gryffindor, who was chatting with Longbottom and Parvati Patil.

The prefect stopped his conversation to give Draco a glare that clearly wished him a thousand painful agonies.

"Have you seen Hermione?" Malfoy asked, forgetting everything about their relationship's secret.  
"Yeah," Weasley coldly replied.  
"Where is she now?"  
"I don't know and it isn't your fucking business, Malfoy."

He pushed him aside and started to walk back towards Hogwarts with his two friends.

"You must tell me! I've got to see her!"  
"For what?"  
"I... it's not your fucking business either! Just tell me where she is!"

Ron smirked.

"Yeah, right. Goodbye, Malfoy."

He left with Neville, but Parvati stayed behind with the two Slytherins. She seemed worried.

"You're looking for Hermione?" she asked carefully.  
"You know where she is?"  
"I..."

She seemed rather confused.

"She told me... for you two. So when I saw her leaving..."  
"She left? When?!"  
"Hours ago. She left the pub, saying she was going back because she had homework, and met with someone outside."  
"She met with someone?" Harry asked. "Who? Did you see?"

She shook her head.

"No, it was snowing so much I could barely see outside and I didn't pay much attention. That was a man, with black clothes. He was tall and slender, I thought it was you, Malfoy! I think I even saw pale blond hair like yours! I could've sworn it was you... I thought she had just left to go with you somewhere else."

Suddenly, Draco became very aware of the cold surrending him. So she had left with a man... a _blond_ man that she had mistaken for himself...

"I've... I've got to go," she said to the speechless Slytherin boys.

She left them, and Draco shouted his rage in the middle of the village.

"SON OF A _BITCH! _That fucking miserable son of a BITCH! He can't reach me so he got _her_, the fucking coward!"  
"Hermione's a brilliant witch," Harry noticed. "She would've won against your father."  
"My father fights dirty," Draco replied on a very pessismist tone.

He became even more horrified when his eyes met something in the snow. He walked towards it and took it. _Hermione's magic wand_.

"And she certainly didn't win wandless."

* * *

"_Crucio!_"

A brief but very strong pain took over Hermione's body.

"You filthy creature!"

Hermione bit her tongue so she wouldn't scream when Lucius Malfoy threw her against the stone wall with a wave of his wand. She had been doing it so much these last hours that she could taste blood in her mouth, but she refused to show her pain, she refused to give him the pleasure to know how much his spells and curses hurt her. Her head hit the stone very hard and she blinked, trying not to feel so dizzy. She had to find a way out of this hell before he decided to kill her.

"Disgusting Mudblood..."

She managed to stand up, looking at him right into the eyes. He looked so much like the young man she loved... but no, not really, now that she looked at him more closely. Although they both looked cold, Draco still managed to look like an angel. Lucius... Lucius looked like a devil no matter what.

She tried to move back as he walked towards her, but her back quickly met the wall and he grabbed her face between his cold and pale fingers. He smirked to her.

"Did you really think... I mean, did you sincerely believe I'd just let you dishonour the Malfoy's bloodline? You, someone as worthless as a stupid Muggle?"  
"You're the dishonour," she replied with a low voice. "Not me, nor Draco. _You_."

He laughed humourlessly.

"I'd like to see you trying to explain that one, Mudblood."  
"People like _you_," she replied with disdain, "Are the ones that are truly a disgrace to the reputation of the Pure Blood. Thanks to you and Voldemort's other _slaves_, people believe that every Pure Blood is prejudiced, extremist and close-minded."  
"We are not _slaves!_" he replied coldly, throwing her on the floor of his basement again. "You filthy Mudblood have no idea what you're talking about!"

She raised half of her body from the cold floor and stared at him.

"Truth hurts, doesn't it?"

Lucius smirked and waved his wand: the terrible pain was back again. He kneeled next to her and everything stopped. Panting, she stared at him, eyes full of hate.

"These are merely lies proving that you're already losing your mind," he said with a careless and low voice. "_I_'m going to tell you something true, however. You're going to die, Mudblood, no matter if my son thinks you're hot enough to get fucked by him. You're going to die, and he'll never find out. He'll never care."

He shook his head in a fakely comforting way.

"How sad and ironic... the filthiest Mudblood who thought she could get the purest of all will die alone in the mansion where he grew up... farewell," he said as he slowly stood up.

Suddenly, the fear disappeared from Hermione's face and heart and her chocolate eyes widened. She looked as if she couldn't believe what was under her eyes, and she even - was she truly crazy? - started to smile as she glanced over his shoulder. Frowning, Lucius turned and froze.

Here stood his son, staring at him with anger, his fingers clenched in a tight fist.

"Get away from my girlfriend," he said with his most threatening voice.

Before Lucius could realise what was happening, before he could see Draco's fist in the air and register the information as a threat, he was laying on the floor, holding his painful and bleeding nose.

"Let's go," he said, grabbing Hermione's hand to Disapparate with her.

* * *

Hermione's body was still shaking against his when they got to Hogsmeade, and not only because of the cold.

"Goodn-ess," she said, breathing heavily. "How did you manage... how did you even guess-?"  
"I'll explain when we get to Hogwarts. Hurry, I'm taking you to the hospital wing - I've already had Harry going for McGonagall..."

He held her against him very tightly as they walked towards their school, giving him as much warmth as he could, considering that he was himself freezing to the bones.

"HA!" Filch yelled in victory as he saw them coming. "I've got you at last - well, the Head Boy and the Head Girl, surely the headmistress-"  
"Get lost, you worthless Squib," Draco's voice snapped back, still walking towards the castle.  
"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME-"  
"Dray!" Hermione said reproachfully.  
"Sorry. I meant get lost, you fucking assho-"  
"THE HEADMISTRESS IS GOING TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR FILTHY MOUTH BOY!" the caretaker shouted, grabbing Draco's ear with his fingers quite painfully.  
"Ow, you nasty-"  
"_Enough!_ Let him go!" Minerva McGonagall's voice raised.  
"He called me-" Filch started.  
"Yes, I heard that, and I will take care of this. Now if you would leave him alone, Miss Granger here must be taken to the hospital wing and Mr Malfoy himself cannot stay outside in such clothes."

He scowled, but let go of the Slytherin's bright red ear and walked away angrily. Both of the students followed the headmistress inside.

* * *

Hermione had been forced by the nurse to lay on a bed as she looked at her carefully, while Draco was sitting on a chair, holding a cup full of a potion that was meant to bring warmth into his cold body. Harry was on his right side, his back leaned on the stone wall and his arms crossed, and McGonagall was standing next to Hermione's bed, looking awfully worried.

"Would you care to explain?" she asked to Draco. "Potter was quite in a hurry and thus was not very explicit."  
"Hermione told me she'd be in Hogsmeade for only a few hours," Draco started slowly. "I hadn't noticed how late it was until Harry came in our common room. I was really worried, I... I just knew something had happened, or else she wouldn't be so late. I rushed to Hogsmeade with Harry, we bumped into Weasley, Longbottom and that Patil girl, the one in Gryffindor. I asked them about Hermione. Weasley wouldn't tell me a damn thing, but the girl did. She told us..."

His grey eyes darkened with anger, with fury, and his hand tightened so much around his cup that Harry wondered how come it didn't break. He cleared his throat and continued his friend's story:

"She told us that Hermione had left the Three Broomsticks hours ago to go back to Hogwarts, but that she saw her having a conversation with a blond man. She thought it was Draco so she didn't bother looking more."  
"Thing is," Draco said with his angry and low voice, "It wasn't me at all. There's only one man that one could mistake for me - and that's my father."  
"But why would he do anything to Miss Granger? I mean I see why, obviously, he is a Death Eater and she is Muggle-born, but why now? Kidnapping her in Hogsmeade was very risky. Did he act on his own, or on Voldemort's order."  
"I think he acted on his own."

It was Hermione's faint voice. They all turned to look at her.

"That looked pretty personal to me - he said he wouldn't let me dishonour the Malfoy bloodline. He obviously can't stand that the two of us are together. He tortured me for this, he was even ready to kill me when Draco came in!"  
"Tortured you?" Pomfrey said worringly, looking at her even more closely. "The Cruciatus Curse? My, my, dear, it must've been - are you certain you're alright?"  
"I guess I'll be."

She frowned.

"To be perfectly honest with all of you, I thought that the Cruciatus Curse would be far worse than that. I mean it _was_ horrible, unbearable pain, but not as much as I-"  
"That is because my father wasn't using his own wand," Draco explained. "It was either my mother's, Bellatrix's, or any other Death Eater's."  
"What? Why wouldn't he? A wizard is less powerful with another's wand, why did he weakened himself?"  
"It's been broken."  
"And what, he can't repair it?" Harry asked. "Or just get another one? It only cost eight Galleons for Merlin's sake."  
"It's been snapped in two parts. I was there. He's been forbidden to get another one."  
"And why is that?" his friend said, frowning.

Draco sneered in disdain.

"Because he is the Dark Lord's servant."  
"Well Mr Malfoy this is quite the definition of a Death Eater-" McGonagall started.  
"No, not servant in a Death Eater way. I mean he treats him like an house elf. The Dark Lord destroyed his wand as a punishment for both his behaviour and mine. Being forced to do everything without his magic must be the most unbearable thing for him - heck, I wonder if he even know how to _shave_ without his wand. Well, anyway. I knew my father - or as I will be calling him by now, that son of a bitch - had probably brought her in the mansion's basement, where he would be perfectly free to do whatever pleased him. I send Harry here, Apparated there, got rid of him and brought her back here."

McGonagall stared at him in disbelief.

"Are you trying to make me swallow that you won a duel against your father?"

A smirk creeped on Draco's fine lips.

"Hardly," he replied.  
"But then-"

The smirk grew bigger.

"I punched him."

Now Malfoy was clearly beaming.

"Damn, it feels good even when I just _say_ it."

Next to him, Harry merely laughed.

"I figure the old Muggle way's the best way to deal with such a man," the prefect said to his friend.

He winked at Hermione.

"Muggles sure do good stuff after all."

Draco smiled softly as he looked at the Gryffindor girl who was now sitting on her bed.

"Indeed they do," he replied, staring at her.

**End of the chapter:** Sorry, got sort of blocked after Draco took her away from the mansion XD hope you liked it anyway :D not cliffy this time, enjoy :D


	22. Darkness arises

**sweet-tang-honey: **Thanks :D

**tfobmv18:** Thank you - sorry for keeping you waiting!

**padfootsgrl79:** Yes, I felt it was like THE ultimate punishment and insult for a man like Lucius who relies on magic for everything, so I'm glad you liked the idea too!

**ajerickson21:** Thank you very much. I'm really sorry for taking this long! :(

**-typing-pictures-:** Muchas gracias ;)

**MargueriteHOL:** I would've loved to see that too, that would've been absolutely priceless!! (and for everything else there's Gringotts XD)

**David Fishwick:** Yes, poor Hermione indeed. But it could've been worse. It could've been Bellatrix XD

**ilfreitas:** Thank you very much for your review ^^ as much as I like Lucius as a character (and I do, I swear I do, even though he's a coward this character as a lot of poise and charisma, he's the perfect image of the aristocrat a Pure Blood is supposed to be), I also LOVE to hit him where it hurts the most, namely his pride! ;)

**Chapter 22: Darkness arises**

Draco and Hermione were walking down a corridor leading to the Entrance Hall: they were patrolling. As it was Valentine's night, they had caught many couples out of their common rooms, and neither Draco nor Hermione felt guilty whatsoever about taking out points from their houses: Valentine's night or not, the rules were the rules, and therefore were meant to be followed. Well, that was actually Hermione's point of view: Draco was in fact taking points off them out of revenge.

"Can't believe McGonagall had us patrolling tonight," he mumbled for the tenth time. "It's not fair. Why not _Weasley_ instead, he doesn't even have a girlfriend-"  
"Draco, just get over it," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "Complaining won't make it any shorter, and besides, we're almost done."

They both stopped upon hearing a noise coming from the hall. If he hadn't known for sure that it was absolutely impossible, Draco would've thought that someone was opening the great doors. But there was no way it could be happening: they were enchanted with a very powerful spell so they could not be opened at night. The odd noise was followed by many footsteps.

"Here come more people," Hermione whispered. "How come they don't stay in their dormitory? They know people are pat-"

She stopped when the Head Boy put his index finger on her lips. His ears had caught a noise that was familiar, a noise that had turned his blood into ice and had send chills down his spine. It was the sound of a woman laughing lightly and briefly, much like a child's laugh, but colder, more cruel. It was almost as though the fact that this woman was having fun meant that someone else was truly _not_ enjoying his time.

Well, according to Draco's experience, this impression was usually not very far from the truth.

"Bellatrix," he muttered.  
"What?" Hermione asked in a murmur. "_Bellatrix Lestrange?_ That's not possible! There's no way the Death Eaters could have-"  
"You, go get the others," the voice said in the hall. "Go get the young ones."

There was no doubt possible: he had heard this voice during months, and it had been haunting his nightmares ever since: Bellatrix Lestrange had entered Hogwarts' castle. She was clearly not alone, and she had asked someone to get even more people. _The young ones? _Draco's eyes widened. She meant _students_ of course! They had people among the students, and she had asked a Death Eater to go and fetch them!

"Does that mean Voldemort-" Hermione started.  
"No," he said with a very fast and low voice. "He's not there. If Bellatrix is giving the orders, it means he's not inside Hogwarts," he finished, turning to look at her. "Listen, this is important. You go tell McGonagall that Death Eaters are inside the castle. _Now_."  
"And you? You're not going to fight them, are you?"  
"No, I'm not dumb enough to take all of them on my own. I'm going to Slytherin's common room. She asked someone to get the _young ones_, which means there are Death Eaters among the students, and they are _surely_ in Slytherin. I have to wake up Harry and Pansy, they're not safe in there!"

He was about to start running, but she caught his arm.

"No," she said. "Give me the password, _I_'ll go to Slytherin get Harry and Pansy."

Since Draco was about to protest, she quickly explained herself:

"You won't be able to climb up the stairs to the girls' dormitory to wake up Pansy. Boys can't."  
"You're right - well, the password's _Noble Purity_. Let's go."

They splitted as Drago ran up a hidden stairway and Hermione headed for the Slytherin's common room.

* * *

"Noble Purity," she said to the blank wall, out of breath.

The door swung opened, and Hermione stepped inside, walking as fast as she could without being too noisy. She pushed the door to the boys' dormitory: Harry was sleeping in the bed on her right side. She touched his shoulder.

"Harry-" she whispered.

He didn't move. She shook him a little.

"Harry, hurry up!"  
"Just gimme five minz, Pans..." he mumbled, his eyes still closed.  
"No, I'm not Pansy!"

He opened his green eyes and they widened.

"Granger?"  
"Shh! Not so loud - Draco sent me, you and Pansy _must_ get out Slytherin's dormitories and common room right _now_."

Harry grunted, rubbing his eyes as he looked at the alarm clock next to his bed. It was three in the morning, for Merlin's sake!

"What for?"  
"Just hurry, I'll explain outside."

Harry grunted again, but still, his hand reached for some clothes.

"This better be important," he mumbled for himself as she left the dormitory.

Hermione quickly climbed up the stairs: Pansy was sleeping in the bed that was the furthest from the door. _Great,_ she thought, not so keen on crossing a dormitory full of hostile Slytherin girls to get to a even more hostile one. But she was Draco's best friend and she was clearly not a Death Eater: she had to get out before the youngest of Voldemort's followers were warned that this was the time to reveal themselves and strike from the inside.

"Pansy," she murmured, her hand moving towards her shoulder.

It appeared that she was a much lighter sleeper than her boyfriend, as she opened her eyes even before Hermione could touch her.

"What the-" she started with a sleepy voice.  
"Put some clothes on right now and follow me," the Gryffindor quickly whispered.

Pansy sneered.

"Yeah, I'm gonna obey to you, right. Who do you think you are, ordering me around in my own - and how the hell did you get in here?!"  
"Would you stop - now's not the time for that! Draco sent me, so get moving before it's too late for you and Harry! Don't forget your wand."

Her boyfriend and best friend's names seemed to be very strong arguments for Pansy, as she immediately left her bed and put the first jean and the first shirt that her hand could reach. They met Harry in the common room, and the very unlikely trio left Slytherin's quarters.

"Now would you _care_ to explain?" Pansy asked as they were taking a secret path.  
"Draco and I were patrolling close to the Entrance Hall when we heard a noise. It was the doors opening," she said, turning left to take some stairs. "People entered, and then we heard Bellatrix Lestrange giving someone the order to go and get the 'young ones'."  
"_Bellatrix Lestrange?_ Here, in Hogwarts?" Pansy said. "How on Earth did they manage to get pass all the protections?"  
"Don't ask _me_," the Head Girl replied. "Draco figured that it meant Voldemort had people among the students, and that those students were surely Slytherins. Therefore, the place was not safe at all for any of you."  
"Oh, sure, it _had_ to be Slytherins, all right," the prefect girl said, glaring at Hermione. "That's ridiculous. And you say _I'_m prejudiced!"  
"She's not the one who said that, Draco is," Harry said, speaking for the very first time. "And he was inside their ranks, so he has to know. Besides, a lot of people in our house come from Death Eaters families, much more than in the others, you can't deny that."  
"The only thing I wonder," Hermione said, "Is why? Why now?"

Silence was her only answer. The only thing that Harry thought was that it was much earlier that he had expected. He remembered Bellatrix' words before she Disapparated with Draco after Dumbledore's death.

"We'll be back for you within a year," his voice whispered unconsciously.  
"What?" Pansy asked, frowning.  
"Last year, when I chased Bellatrix and Draco down the park to the limits of Hogwarts," he explained. "That's what she said, that the Death Eaters would be back for me within a year. They had gotten Dumbledore, and they wanted me after."  
"Then You-Know-Who _must_ be here," the Slytherin girl said. "He doesn't want anyone else than him to kill you, everybody knows that."  
"But Draco said that he wasn't here," Hermione objected. "Bellatrix's giving orders, she wouldn't be if Voldemort was here. But I wonder, why _now_, so early... they could've prepared more..."  
"I guess it's because Draco escaped for real this time," Harry replied. "He wants both of us now, and he is not best known for his patience."  
"So you believe he is here too?"  
"Oh, he is definitely here, just not inside the castle," he replied. "He is powerful, but deep down inside he is nothing but a coward. He sent his followers leaded by Bellatrix Lestrange inside to strike first. He probably expected the Death Eaters in Slytherin to get me in my sleep, as Bellatrix and the others are going for Draco in your common room."  
"The Dark Lord wouldn't let some random young Death Eater kill you," Pansy said, shaking her head.  
"I know. They must have received the order to capture us and kill anyone that tries to oppose."

They almost bumped into McGonagall and Draco.

"I've warned the Order and the Ministry," she said hastily, already holding her wand. "The teachers, too - I've instructed the Head of Houses to go to their respective common rooms and help the younger students, and any older that wants it, to escape the castle before the fights begins."

She looked at the four of them.

"So if you want to leave Hogwarts safely, now's the time to say it."  
"I'm not going anywhere," Hermione said, drawing her magic wand.  
"Neither am I," Draco said, siding next to her.  
"Then I have no choice but to stay too," Harry said with a smirk.

He looked at Pansy: she didn't say anything, but the way she was smirking cunningly with her arms crossed and _that_ glare, he knew she was ready for one hell of a fight.

Suddenly, there was a very loud noise of explosion under them, and they all frowned.

"The Entrance Hall is right under our feet," McGonagall noticed. "They must've blown up the doors for their people and creatures."  
"So much for being subtle, I guess," Pansy said.

She smirked.

"Let's go get these assholes."

* * *

Hermione fell painfully on the floor again. How many times had she fell, how many curses had she countered, dodged and even received, for herself or a loved one? She couldn't tell. She had lost the count a long time ago. Five minutes, five hours?

Again, she could not tell.

All she could tell for sure was that she had quickly lost track of Draco on the battlefield, and that someone - friend of foe, she was unsure - had just Disarmed her and her wand was nowhere to be found. Was Draco still alive, still fighting? There were so many bodies on the floor, what if he was among them? She shook her head, eyes looking for a wand - or _any_ wand. Now was not the time to worry about Draco. He was a talented, clever wizard and a good duelist: surely he was doing well.

But, suddenly, she lost all hopes. Draco was surely dead or worse... he had let her alone... and she felt so cold... so scared, so alone...

_Dementors_, the voice of reason spoke in her mind. Indeed, one of them had spotted her and was getting dangerously close, clearly getting ready to give her the Kiss. She could've defended herself: she could cast a perfect Patronus when she had too, but without a magic wand... well, she was a goner.

Hermione screamed in fear and moved back, her fingers still trying to reach a wand on the floor._ Please, mine or anyone else's! _The Dementor was only a few inches away from her face now. She closed her eyes.

"_EXPECTO PATRONUM!_" a voice yelled in her back.

The Gryffindor opened her eyes just in time to see a majestuous silver panther jumping over her shaking body, and landing on the Dementor. Hermione frowned as she stood up, her heart beating faster than ever. This Patronus... it belonged to _no one_ she knew... She turned her head, and her eyes widened when she saw Pansy, standing straight, her head held very high and her eyes fierce as she pointed her magic wand towards the horrible creature. She smirked at her.

"I thought you could use some help over there," she said with an oddly calm voice.

Hermione stared at her, dumbfounded. That girl had spent her life in Hogwarts mocking her, calling her Mudblood and other horrible names, she had spreaded lies in the Daily Prophet about her, she was disgusted that her best friend had fallen in love with her...

Yet, she had just _saved her?  
_  
She was brought back to reality when Pansy threw her another wand with her free hand.

"Here," she said. "I just took it away from one of the Carrows, you might want to use it."  
"Thanks," she replied, catching the wand.

It didn't feel as friendly as her own under her fingers, but it was much better than relying on luck and bare hands. In front of them, the gracious panther jumped on another Dementor.

"But... why?" Hermione asked.

Pansy shook her head.

"Now's not the best time to speak about that. Have you seen Harry or Draco?"  
"No, I've lost them-"  
"People of Hogwarts!"

The cold and arrogant voice came from nowhere: it was loud and clear. All the fights stopped at once.

"Voldemort," Hermione whispered.  
"Don't speak his name," Pansy immediately whispered back.  
"Does it really matter now-"  
"One hour," Voldemort's voice said, "I shall give you one hour to take care of your wounded and fallen ones."

People started to whisper among themselves in the hall. Why on Earth would he do such a thing?

"No service should remain unpaid, however, so here is my offer, teachers and students: my fellow Death Eaters and creatures will not leave the castle alone."

Hermione and Pansy both swallowed. Clever as they were, they could guess what was coming next.

"Send either Draco Malfoy or Harry Potter with them. If you do not, the fight will go on until every one of you either dies or submit himself to us. Make your decision quickly."

The silence fell back on the hall, only to be broken by Bellatrix's cruel laugh.

"Well, well, well," she said, turning gracefully in the middle of the hall. "It's my master generous? One hour of peace and calm, if you accept to give him one of the two reasons why we are here tonight! Who shall it be, people? Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, or Draco Malfoy... the Boy Who Ran Away? Think, think, quicky, quicky people! The Dark Lord will not wait forever!"

She laughed, as though she was having the best time of her life.

"I say we send him Malfoy!" a voice that sounded like Ron's said from somewhere in the crowd.

Many people whispered their agreement. Clearly, the Head Boy was not the most popular among the students.

"No!" Hermione's voice said loudly.

She walked towards the middle of the place, looking at everyone around. She finally spotted Draco, alone in a corner, holding an injured arm. He didn't seem so keen on walking towards his death, which was quite understandable.

"No way," she continued. "Are you all out of your damn minds?! Are you truly going to step as low as sacrificing one of us by sending him to Voldemort?"

Bellatrix and the other Death Eaters' eyes widened and their jaws dropped in shock: she _dared!_ That filthy Mudblood dared speak his name!

"Malfoy's not one of us!" the voice replied.

Ron stepped forward. His eyes were full of hate.

"He was one of _them_, and then when he didn't like it there, he came back here! We're in trouble because he felt like hiding in our school!"  
"Are you really that dumb?" Pansy's piercing voice said as she reached Hermione's side. "So what if we do it, uh? What if we do send Draco or Harry to the Dark Lord so we can get the break? Think about it! He's going to wait for one hour, then send his people back inside to finish the job! Draco or Harry's death wouldn't be of any use!"  
"Maybe not," Ron replied. "You heard her, they came for Malfoy and Potter. If we do send them, then they will have no reason to continue this fight!"

Pansy sneered as Hermione bobbed down.

"Holy shit, I had no idea one could get that naive! He won't stop 'til the school is either destroyed or his! If we start obeying him and sending people to their death, then he _wins!_ He wins because he's making us just like him! He's making us ruthless, cruel, cold-"  
"I'll go."

The voice was not Draco's: it was Harry's. He was slowly, calming walking towards Bellatrix Lestrange.

"I'll come with you," he said as he dug his green eyes into her dark ones.  
"Harry, no!" Pansy yelled, tears coming to her hazel eyes. "Please, don't - it's useless and you _know_ it! He'll just kill you and then come back for us!"

Harry slowly shook his head.

"Not if I kill him first."

Bellatrix laughed.

"You, kill the Dark Lord? That's a good one - well, if this thought allows you to die happy, so be it. Follow me."

She took his hand in hers, and leaded the way out of the castle for the other Death Eaters and the creatures that were with them.

* * *

Harry had absolutely no clue what crazy idea had crossed his mind. He was walking in the forest, surrounded by the people and creatures Voldemort had sent inside the castle. What made him think he could win a fight against the Dark Lord?

Nothing.

But he had to try. To protect his best friend and the girl he loved...

He had to give it a try.

"Ah, Bellatrix."

As it spoke his lieutenant's name, Voldemort's voice was softer than it used to be, but the rest of his person was all the same: the snake-like face, the blood-red eyes, and the snow-white skin. Harry tried his best to hold his head high and look as though he was not scared to death.

"I see Hogwarts has made its choice," he said. "To be honest, I thought they'd send Draco."

He made a waving motion with his hand, and the people surrounding Harry joined with the ones behind him. Even _more_ Death Eaters?

"No, _I _did," he replied firmly.  
"Touching. Sacrificing yourself, Potter? You do realise that there is no one to stand between you and me tonight, don't you?"  
"And it is perfect like that."

He raised his wand.

"Because I wouldn't wanna hurt anyone by trying to kill you."

The Death Eaters laughed.

"You won't be able to run away like you did three years ago, Harry."  
"So be it... _Riddle_."

Voldemort's wand shook in shock.

"You dare?" he hissed.

Harry smirked.

"Hell yeah," he carelessly replied.  
"_AVADA KEDAVRA!_" Voldemort yelled in fury.

Harry wanted to dodge - he had the time, he wanted to do it, but it was as if his feet had been glued on the ground. As the green light approached, he caught a glimpse of Bellatrix's smirk behind her master, and he _knew_. She had put a curse on him, binding his body by magic. Harry took a deep breath that he knew would be his last one, and stared at Death right into the eyes.

The infamous green light hit him right in the chest, and his body flew a few feet behind.

**End of the chapter:** There you go ^^ I know I took much longer than usual, but the chapter, too, is longer, and I was so into my new DBZ fic that I just could not write in the HP universe. Still, I hope you enjoyed this update!


	23. The most important one

**David Fishwick: **You'll see ^^

**Miss Potter 19:** Thank you! As for Sirius, I skipped this part because I thought befriending Draco changed it a lot and made it useless. So, although Sirius did escape from Azkaban (after all, his goal was Wormtail, not Harry), this did not get into Harry's life here as much as it did in the third book. Being Draco's friend, he was not provoked by him into seeking "revenge" for his parents' death, and Mr. Weasley was not there to tell him that he had to be careful because Sirius was after him. Harry also does not have the map given by the Weasley twins to see that Peter is well and alive in the castle. Therefore, as far as Harry knows, a criminal named Sirius Black escaped Azkaban and attacked the Fat Lady's portrait one night (something he doesn't really care about, given that he is in Slytherin and thus, cannot think that Sirius was looking for him). Sirius was captured by the Dementors by the end of the year, and without Hermione and Harry to help him escaping, was given the Dementors' Kiss.

**sweet-tang-honney:** Thank youu ^^

**Shubhs:** Thank you very much!! The end's near, though ^^'

**tfobmv18:** Hehe, thanks :D for Harry, you will see.

**Chapter 23: The most important one**

That was odd.

Was it how death was supposed to feel like? Well, he couldn't really know - he had never died before, after all. But it felt really weird. Actually...

Actually, Harry felt pretty alive right now.

His head hurt, and something hard ached in the middle of his back. A root from a very big tree, or perhaps a rock, he did not know.

Wait, was a dead person supposed to feel _pain?_

"Well, well, well..." Voldemort's cold voice said.

How come he could still hear Voldemort? Then, it occurred to him: he was _not_ dead. But how on Earth did that happen? Bellatrix had binded his body with a spell, he could not dodge the curse or move in any way! He was right in front of Voldemort, there was no way on Earth the Dark Lord could've missed his Avada Kedavra like this. So, what the hell?! Harry's heart was beating faster than ever. Did Voldemort know he had survived the Killing Curse?

"You!" the Lord's voice snapped.

Someone gasped in fear. A woman, probably - it sounded very much like a woman. Bellatrix?

"Check if he's really dead."

Harry did his best to look as though he was not breathing anymore, but he could not stop his heart beat. Who had Voldemort send? Bellatrix? No, not Bellatrix - she would not gasp in fear when pointed by her master, and, furthermore, this was not the way he used to speak to her. He showed more respect, even as though she was his equal. Well, Bellatrix or not, it did not matter: whoever it was would blow up his cover.

He heard someone kneeling next to him. Now, Harry knew it was a woman. He kept his eyes closed and his body motionless, but his nose caught something that spreaded hope into his heart: the expensive rose perfume that woman was wearing... could it truly be _her?_ This smell reminded him of so many things... it reminded him of the only happy Christmas Eves he had known, his first real Christmas and birthday presents, and enjoyable holidays with his best friend. It reminded him of having the best laugh of his life upon seeing Uncle Vernon unable to use his legs, and a soft hand taking his own to bring him to a much better place than the Dursley's house.

Could it be?

He felt a cold, shaking hand slipping under his dirty shirt to touch his chest, searching for a pulse. Was it an illusion, or the Death Eater had just slighlty sighed with relief? She could feel his heart, he knew it: there was no way it would've gone unoticed. Yet, she bent over him, and he felt long, silky hair caressing his pale skin. _That rose scent... please, please, I need you to be the person I think you are! I need another miracle, please-_

"Is Draco still alive?" a familiar voice whispered very low in his ear.

So he was right after all, that woman was truly Narcissa Malfoy! Of all people surrounding him, Voldemort had chosen _Narcissa Malfoy_ to confirm his death - to Harry, this was nothing but a pure miracle. She may have been in Voldemort's ranks, but Harry knew her: all that she truly cared about was her family's well being and reputation. Firstly, her only son, and secondly, her husband. As long as they were safe, well and happy, the whole world could crumble in front of her, she would not care nor move a finger to help others.

Now, Voldemort was threatening her son's life, and had humiliated her husband by treating him like his slave. Surely, she was not very loyal to him anymore. All she wanted right now was the permission to enter Hogwarts, where she could be reunited with her child, but she was surely forbidden to do so... unless Voldemort stepped inside the castle, victorious, with all his followers - including her. Maybe he _did_ have a chance to survive this whole mess after all. His destiny was in her hands now. His best friend's mother could either give him in to the Dark Lord, or save his life. But, somehow, Harry felt safe. He had faith in Narcissa.

"Yes," he quickly murmured back.  
"In the castle?" she asked under her breath.  
"Yes."

Somehow, even with his eyes closed, Harry could tell that Narcissa was smiling. He felt her lips softly kissing his cheek. She had made her decision, just the one Harry expected.

"Play dead," she said in one last low whisper, confirming his thoughts.

Narcissa raised her head and chest, and then turned to the others.

"So, is he dead or not?" Voldemort asked rather impatiently.

Cissy got on her feet gracefully.

"Harry Potter... is _dead!_" she said very firmly and clearly.

_She did it_. She had truly done it, she had lied to her master only for the sake of Draco! But, as the Death Eaters and Voldemort roared in joy and triumph, another problem crossed Harry's mind: surely, Voldemort was not just going to leave him lying on the ground in the forest. He would ask one of his followers to carry him inside the Entrance Hall, to show everybody that he, Lord Voldemort, had finally put an end to the Boy Who Lived's life. He was probably not going to ask Narcissa, and _whoever_ he asked, that person was sure to notice that he was still alive. Then, what would happen to him?

Moreover, what would happen to Narcissa? She had lied to the Dark Lord, pretenting he was dead. She had put herself in great danger only for a chance to save her son, because Voldemort, more than anything else, hated lies. But it wasn't the first time she had disobeyed or lied to Voldemort for Draco: the memory of Mrs. Malfoy crying and begging him to prevent Draco from becoming a murderer was still well alive in Harry's mind. Narcissa was not a bad person, Harry knew it: at first, she had scared him a little, like her husband. She appeared cold and arrogant, but she was a loving mother for Draco, and she had been much nicer to him than Aunt Petunia had ever been. She did not deserve death or torture at the hands of Voldemort, especially when she just wanted to be reunited with her only son.

"Take him," Voldemort ordered. "I want everyone in there to see what happens to those who stand in my way."

_Please, let it be Mrs. Malfoy_, Harry begged to he-didn't-know-who. But, when he felt that the person was taking him in his arms, he knew his prayer hadn't be heard: Narcissa was too frail and delicate to be able to lift him in her arms like that. He was heavier than she was, and she was a noble lady used to drink tea and go out for dinner, not to use her physical strength. Furthermore, she was a witch, she did not need her arms: she would have used her wand. Harry did his best to make his body feel like a corpse, though it did not matter that much, since that man was sure to realise that his heart was still beating, and that his chest was still breathing even if Harry tried to make it as subtle as possible.

Wait... why didn't that Death Eater use his wand to carry him?

"But, master," a oddly familiar voice said over him, "Shouldn't we... didn't you tell them-"

_That voice!_

"Are you questionning my orders, Lucius?" Voldemort hissed back, confirming Harry's doubts.

Lucius Malfoy. He was being held in Lucius Malfoy's arms. Harry was sure that he had noticed Narcissa's lie by now: no matter how hard he tried to calm down, Harry could still feel his heart beating way to fast to go unoticed. Voldemort had put him in such a humiliating position, why wasn't he using this opportunity to regain his value? By telling him that Harry was still alive, maybe he could get back his status and honour! But then, Harry realised as Mr. Malfoy started to walk with the others, then he would put his spouse in danger. By revealing her lie, he would expose the wife he loved to a terrible punishment. Perhaps he also wanted to be reunited with Draco, just like her.

"I hope she knows what she's doing," Lucius muttered under his breath, unheard by anyone else except Harry.

During their walk towards the castle, Harry focussed on keeping his eyes closed - even though opening his eyes to see what the hell was going on wa quite tempting - and his body motionless, like a dead one. He apprehended their entry: not reacting at all when everybody would believe him dead would surely be horrible.

"For the love of-" someone started.

Harry knew they had stepped into the Entrance Hall. Firstly, because people were whispering and gasping upon seeing him, and secondly, because it smelled like blood. It smelled like _death_.

_Don't move. Don't breathe. Well, do breathe, but quietly. Keep your eyes closed. Don't move or you're fucking dead, this time for real_.

"_NO!_"

That scream was piercing, and Harry felt it into his heart like a knife: it was Pansy's voice. Pansy, who had just seen him walk away with the Death Eaters. Lucius dropped him - he did his best to relax his body and fall like a real corpse - and they all stepped forward, leaving his body behind.

"No! Let go of me, Granger, or I'm gonna hex you - this is _your_ fault, Weasley, you hear me? LEMME GO, GRANGER, I'M GONNA FUCKING _KILL_ HIM!" she shouted, obviously strugging to get away from Hermione's hands and jump at Ron's throat. "THIS IS _UNFAIR_, I'M GONNA TEAR OFF HIS EYES AND SHOVE IT RIGHT UP HIS-"  
"Stop it, for heaven's sake!" Hermione said, clearly having a hard time holding Pansy back.  
"Let me go NOW!"

Then, her voice broke:

"Harry... no..."

He had known her for seven years, and dated her for three of these years: he knew Pansy by heart, and he knew she was crying now. She was always like that when something was painful to her: at first she was strong, filled up with anger and rage, she yelled and was ready to strangle a giant with her bare hands, and then she broke down, and the tears came. Hearing her mourning over his death when he was only _pretending_ to be dead was even more unbearable that he had thought at first. This was not real to him: he was only _playing_ dead. But Pansy's tears and pain were not fake at all, he was truly hurting her. Harry felt disgusted at himself for putting her through this. He wanted to get on his feet and run at her to comfort her, but he knew he couldn't. Voldemort and the Death Eaters believed him dead: he had to use this fact to his advantage. He knew he would need to surprise him at one point.

He just hoped that it would be sooner than later, so Pansy would not believe him dead for too long.

"What about our hour of peace?" McGonagall's voice asked on a rather sarcastic tone.

Even with his eyes closed, Harry could tell Voldemort was smirking.

"Forgive me," Voldemort replied. "I was so happy about my victory, I couldn't wait to share it with you. Moreover, I'm not done yet. Where is Draco Malfoy?"  
"Why does it matter to you?" Pansy said harshly. "Leave us alone!"

Harry could imagine her, filled with anger yet again, glaring at Voldemort with no fear at all in her hazel eyes.

"And here I was, expecting more than that from the heiress of the Parkinson family. You are pitiful, truly pitiful."  
"Pitiful? You dare to call me pitiful? You're attacking a school full of unqualified wizards and witches with horribles creatures, a castle full of children, you stay back while others are fighting for you, and yet you call _me_ pitiful?"  
"Pansy-" Hermione started.  
"Oh, would you leave me be?!" she snapped back.

He heard her walking towards Voldemort. Was she out of her damn mind?!

"Someone needs to tell it for once. You are a _coward_."

People gasped all around the hall. How could she?

"Yes, yes, speak all you want: I have no business with you, ridiculous girl. Draco, show yourself at once!"

Nothing but silence was his answer.

"Ah, not so keen on facing death than your friend, I see. Well, what about that-"

All Harry heard was a girl whimpering, both in pain and fear. He felt a horrible twitch in his stomach.

"What about that, Draco? What about I kill your dear friend before your very eyes, if you keep on hiding?"  
"You leave her alone!" Draco's threatening voice said.

Harry heard his footstep towards Voldemort.

"I'm afraid I'm the one giving orders, Draco. Drop your wand, come to me, and she will be spared."  
"Draco," Pansy's shaking voice said. "Don't listen to him, just _go!_"  
"He's already got Harry because I was too coward to show myself, Pansy. I'm not letting this happen to you."

There was a noise: he had dropped his magic wand on the floor. Harry had to do something, and quickly, or else Draco would die. Or Pansy would, which was even worse. An idea crossed his mind - a crazy one, but he had nothing better up his sleeve. He opened his eyes, looking at the Death Eaters in front of him. He finally spotted what he wanted: crazy, wild dark hair, and a long, torn black dress. He got on his feet in silence: fortunately, everybody was staring at Draco, Pansy and Voldemort. The last thing he needed was to have his cover blown up by someone yelling "HARRY IS ALIVE!".

With a swift motion, he stole Bellatrix's wand, caught her delicate waist and put her own magic wand on her neck, just like Voldemort was doing with Pansy. She gasped in surprise, tried to get away, but, if not a better wizard, he was at least stronger than her physically. He forced the female Death Eater to take a few steps forward.

"Hey, _Riddle!_" his voice shouted. "Look who I have here!"

Voldemort slowly turned his snake-like face to him: his red eyes showed surprise, then anger. People whispered and screamed in amazement. Pansy's eyes widened in shock.

"How the hell did you... I've... I killed you!"  
"Nope," Harry replied with a smirk, holding Bellatrix tightly against his body. "Looks like you missed, but nevermind that."

He pushed a bit harder with Bellatrix's wand on her throat.

"What about we start talking business?"

Voldemort's eyes narrowed.

"Business?" he repeated.  
"Yeah, business. You've got someone important for me, I've got someone important for _you_. You kill her, Bellatrix Lestrange dies."

Bellatrix laughed cruelly.

"Oh, really? You think you have the guts to kill me, Potter?" she asked mockingly.  
"Try me," he simply replied. "I've been pushed quite hard enough lately."

Voldemort gave him a humourless laugh.

"I've got many Death Eaters," he carelessly replied. "Many of them have fallen, tonight and before, yet I never dropped a tear or given a damn about it. What makes you believe I would care about_ her_ death?"  
"Because she's not just _any_ Death Eater to you, is she?"

Voldemort did not reply, but Harry knew he was right: he remembered the way his hand had caressed the air three years ago when he had been brought back to life, almost like he was touching her face as he told the others about the great sacrifice she had done for him. More importantly, he had noticed how his voice got softer anytime he spoke to her or mentionned her name. And he hadn't missed this anger in Voldemort's eyes when he had seen her caught by him either. He would not have cared if he had caught Narcissa, Avery or another random Death Eater: but, Bellatrix, that pissed him off. Perhaps it was not love, but there was definitely something special about her for the Dark Lord, something that might save Pansy and Draco.

"Think, think," Harry continued. "You would lose her only for Pansy? You'd lose your best lieutenant, your most faithful Death Eater, only to kill a student who insulted you?"  
"I don't care about _her!_ Kill her if you want to."

Harry slightly frowned, starting to doubt about his idea, but Pansy could feel Voldemort's heart beating very fast against her body. Her boyfriend was right: all he needed was to push the bluff a bit further, and Voldemort would give up.

"Do it," her lips said in silence.

He gave her a very subtle nod, then stared at Voldemort right into the eyes.

"Is that so? Well, then I might as well do it," Harry replied. "_Avada Kedav_-"  
"ENOUGH!"

Voldemort was panting with anger, glaring at Harry as though he had never hated someone that much - which was probably the truth.

"Well, have we changed our mind?"

A smirk creeped on Harry's lips: no matter how loud Voldemort would shout and swear he did not care, he would not believe him: his reaction when he had almost cast the Killing Curse had betrayed him. The dark wizard's eyes narrowed, yet he pushed Pansy away, right into Draco's arms: he caught her and hid her behind him. Harry's smirk grew bigger: his plan had worked. He pushed Bellatrix towards Voldemort, and, one or two seconds after, the battle was on again.

**End of the chapter: **Been wanting to write this scene for sooooo long now! XD Hope you guys loved it!!!!! By the way, at first it was meant to be Hermione, but I felt Pansy was more likely to be insolent to Voldemort and get herself into trouble than Hermione ^^ and since Draco cares very much about both of them, well, I changed it!


	24. Dumbledore's man

**David Fishwick:** I thought it was very much like Pansy, yeah XD going crazy against Voldemort while everyone around his like "Geez, did she really say that?!!". She thought Harry was dead, Voldemort could've killed her, she just didn't give a damn. And as an author I felt it was about damn time someone called Voldemort a coward because he's the biggest one in the whole HP universe XD

**Jade2099:** He had Pansy. At first I wanted it to be Hermione (this is why there was one "Hermione" there, I changed it... my mistake!), but after re-reading my chapter, I felt that it would be better with Pansy, because while Hermione is close enough to Draco to make him willing to sacrifice himself, I realised that Harry would probably not be desesperate enough to play that bluff about killing Bellatrix only for the sake of Hermione, but he would definitely do it for Pansy. And, since threatening Pansy's life would work for Draco just as well as threatening Hermione, I switched ^^

**padfootsgrl79:** Thank you very much! It's been in my head for a while now ^^'

**Enilas: **Thanks :D

**Shubhs:** Talk about pressure XD lol just kidding. Ending a story's always hard for me (that's why I have so many incomplete ones out there), I'm almost never perfectly satisfied with myself on that matter XD I just hope you will like what I have in mind!

**sweet-tang-honney:** Thanks a lot!

**tfobmv18: **Hehe, thank you very much :D

_**Advice:** Go on YouTube and search for X Ray Dog - Acts of Courage. Do it now. Great. No proceed to reading this chapter :D_

**Chapter 24: Dumbledore's man**

Spells were shouted, dodged and countered: Harry saw Hermione and Draco setting fire on a bunch of Inferi. In all this rage and violence, he was hugged extremely tightly.

"I thought you were... I... don't ever do that to me again," Pansy sobbed, as though there was nothing happening around them. "EVER!"  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to - I had to play dead," he whispered to her. "It's all right, I'm all right, Pansy..."  
"How the hell did you survive?"

She had taken his face between her hands and was staring at him as if she couldn't believe it.

"Do you believe in miracles?" he simply asked.  
"No."  
"Well I do," he replied. "I've got three in a row. First I survived the Avada Kedavra, then he asked Mrs. Malfoy, not _anyone_ else, to check if I was dead, and then he asked Mr. Malfoy, not _anyone_ else, to carry my body back in here."  
"Draco's parents?"

Her eyes moved to the battlefield, searching for the famous blond trio. The three of them had been reunited, and were fighting side-by-side: Draco had taken back his wand, Narcissa had drawed hers, and Lucius had probably stolen one from a corpse. But, although dressed like Death Eater, neither Narcissa nor her husband were aiming their jinxes and hexes at the people of Hogwarts: they were shooting them at Voldemort's followers.

"Ok," she said. "Now I'm a believer."

Harry lifted Bellatrix's wand in the air, looking more determined and decided than ever.

"Let's go."

And they rushed back in the battle.

* * *

The fight was on for quite a moment when Harry's attention was caught by a familiar voice shouting, louder than anything else in the Entrance Hall, louder than people screaming in pain and fear and spells that were yelled:

"NOT MY _SON_, YOU _BITCH!_"

Harry blinked several times, dumbfounded: that voice was Narcissa's. Draco, what had happened to Draco to make his mother _that_ angry? His eyes met with his friends: he was fine, but according to the look in his eyes and the destroyed armour next to him, he had just dodged a Killing Curse. Nevertheless, Narcissa had rushed towards her older sister, pushing and shoving away anyone that _dared_ to stand between her and the one that had almost killed her only son.

Bellatrix laughed coldly, cruelly.

"Really, Cissy? Me, your own sister? You wouldn't dare-"

She turned gracefully, avoiding Narcissa's Avada Kedavra by half an inch. She raised an eyebrow, her face standing somewhere between surprise and amazement.

"You've gone _way _too far, Bella," she said with her most threatening voice. "Someone's got to stop you - and that'll be _me_."

Everyone fighting around moved further, giving more space to the Black sisters: nobody wanted to be caught by mistake either in the crazy Bellatrix's insanity, or the very angry Narcissa's rage to protect her child. But Bellatrix did not seem scared whatsoever, and waved her hand into the air like a knife: a cut appeared on Narcissa's pale cheek. It would take more than that to stop her young sister tonight, however, as she didn't even seem to notice and rushed at Bellatrix once again.

"GET AWAY!" Narcissa shouted at Lucius while casting a perfectly silencious Shield Charm. "She's mine! MINE! _Crucio!_"

Her husband simply smirked as Bellatrix avoided her favourite curse, nodded, and moved back. Narcissa was right: this was her fight.

Harry had never imagined that the distinguish, polish Narcissa could turn in such a furious creature when pushed too far: yes, he had seen her curse Uncle Vernon for a week only because he had insulted Mr. Malfoy, but she had done so with calm, poise, and her usual cold elegance. Now, her beautiful face was completely changed by the rage that had taken over her entire being, and she was displaying incredible duelling skills. But, then again... so was her sister.

"You'll never get me, Cissy," Bellatrix sneered, coutering a jinx with a flick of her wand. "I've always been better!"  
"Don't _Cissy_ me!" Narcissa simply replied with anger. "I _dare_ you!"

Harry looked around a bit and realised that almost every battle had been interrupted, for everyone was staring at the sisters' impressive fight to death. Wait, did that mean that Voldemort had stopped fighting and had dropped his guard, too?

_Yes!_

He spotted him, in the middle of the place, looking at the duel with the utmost interest. Harry raised his wand in the air.

"_Expelliarmus!_" Narcissa yelled at this very moment, and the noise of a wand falling on the floor confirmed that she had indeed succeeded in Disarming Bellatrix.  
"Now see if you can get me!" Bellatrix replied, laughting like a child having the best time of her life. "I dance, dance, turn and flip around, duck and jump, try to get me! I can't fight back anymore, let's see if you can win, Cissy!"

She laughed, hysterical, and she avoided her sister's spells one after another by inches. Harry could see her master smirking and nodding in appreciation. He was fascinated by the battle: now was the time to strike.

"Missed, missed - come on, give it your best, _sis'_ - see if you can get m-"

Bellatrix's voice stopped at once: even Harry turned his eyes away from Voldemort to see what had finally made her swallow her words. The Death Eater's hand barely had the time to clutch on her stomach, her eyes barely had the time to widen as she, for one split second, had realised what had just happened to her. Her body felt slowly, gracefully on the floor, where it remained motionless. There was a moment of silence, only broken by Narcissa's heavy breathe.

Voldemort's best lieutenant had just lost her last battle.

Every student, teacher and Auror still standing in the Hall roared in joy, but even the power of their voices was not enough to overcome the strength of Voldemort's horrible scream:

"_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_"

There was a fury that could not be described by words in that shout: people around him were forced to back away, as though they had been pushed by an invisible magical force. To Harry's amazement, there was also pain in the Dark Lord's voice, a pain that no one could've expected from him.  
_  
Now's the best time_.

He waved his wand in the air.

"_Avada K_-" he started, but he was pinned down on the dirty floor by the most unexpected person.  
"No, don't do it!" the Gryffindor said, panting. "_Don't!_"  
"ARE YOU _FUCKING_ KIDDING ME?!" Harry shouted in anger. "Get off me right now, Longbottom!"  
"No, Harry, you can't do that!"

_What the hell is he talking about?_ He knew that Longbottom guy was clumbsy, gauche, nervous, dreadful in every school subject except Herbology and timid, but he had no idea he was also out of his damn mind! Harry pointed Bellatrix's wand menancingly at Neville Longbottom's face.

"Look, if you're too _coward_ to act then it's not my problem! Get off me right _now_, I'm angry enough at you to hex you, and I'm not joking!"  
"But you can't do it right now, you can't kill him, you must wait!"  
"Wait for _what?!_ For the whole school to fall on our fucking heads?!! It must be done _now_ before it's too late!"  
"But it won't work!"  
"It worked sixteen years ago. It works on _everybody_, Longbottom! It's the goddamn _Killing_ Curse, what d'you reckon it's got that name for?!"  
"But then Voldemort came back," Neville reminded him. "Do you want to kill him for good, or just win everybody a few years of peace? Have you never wondered how he had managed to survive that night when he tried to kill you and failed?"

Harry frowned. He had never thought of it a lot.

"I figured... I just thought the curse had only _bounced_ back at him, therefore... making it weaker somehow..."  
"No, it's not that, the curse was not weakened by the bounce. Listen, I can't explain right now, but Dumbledore gave me a mission before he died. I have one last thing to do tonight, and then Voldemort will be mortal again. But before that, nobody must try to kill him, or else he'll just come back again!"

For a while, Harry stared at Neville, wondering whether or not he should believe him. He finally nodded. Neville nodded in response, got on his feet, and rushed back into the battlefield.

* * *

Harry's hand clutched at his hair, and he felt some hot liquid going down his forehead.

_Blood_. He was bleeding, and he couldn't even tell what had happened to his head to cause it to bleed. He got on his feet again, looking around. The Malfoy were still fighting together: Narcissa would not let her son away from her, not even in the confusion of the battle. She would not risk to allow Voldemort to reach him. Hermione was cornered by the two Carrows, but she still seemed to handle herself pretty well in this two-on-one fierce duel.

Pansy, where was Pansy? His eyes couldn't find her. He felt an horrible twitch in his stomach. What if something had happened to her? Suddenly, he saw her, crawling away from Greyback. He could see her magic wand broken on the floor. _No!_

Voldemort screamed. Harry turned: the Dark Lord's arms were wrapped around his stomach, and he looked very much in pain.

"NOW!" a voice yelled over all the noises from the fights in the Hall.

Again, Harry's eyes moved: Neville Longbottom was holding a beautiful sword tainted with blood: it had probably beheaded the snake at his feet. He looked at the Slytherin right into the eyes.

"Do it now!" he said, sweating and out of breath. "NOW!"

Harry's blood turned to ice: behind him, Pansy was whimpering in fear, still trying to get away from Greyback. She was defenceless. But... so was Voldemort, in front of him. He was wide-opened: he would not get the chance to finish him so easily twice. Voldemort was at his mercy... but Pansy was at Greyback's mercy. He hesitated for a second. Should he kill the one who had been scaring them all for so long, or kill the one who was about to kill Pansy?

"What are you waiting for?" Neville yelled. "DO IT, FOR MERLIN'S SAKE!"

Harry gave him a sorry nod and ran towards Pansy and the infamous werewolf. He wanted to kill Voldemort, yes: but not at the cost of his girlfriend's life. Come to think of it... Voldemort's death would do him no good if he couldn't share this peace with the one he loved.

"You get away from her, you disgusting thing - _AVADA KEDAVRA!_"

The werewolf whined like a puppy when it was hit by the green light coming out from Harry's wand - or, to be more accurate, from Bellatrix's. Greyback's body fell on Pansy, who grimaced and pushed it away with all her strength.

"B-but," she said, looking up at Harry. "The... the Dark Lord-"  
"Is under you on my priorities list," Harry replied firmly.

As he offered her his hand, a terrible scream came from behind him, a scream were both terrible pain and complete despair could be heard. Harry's head turned at once.

His eyes widened: Neville had decided to take the matter into his hands, and he had... he had impaled Voldemort with the precious sword he was holding few seconds ago when he had yelled at Harry. Red blood ran down the silver blade to the floor at incredible speed, and the terrible dark wizard fell on his knees, his trembling legs refusing to support him any longer.

"You're made of blood and flesh," Neville's low and shaking voice said. "Just like every one of us."

With the awful noise of flesh being cut, he pulled the beautiful sword out of Voldemort's body: the Dark Lord fell, motionless, right next to Bellatrix's body. There was a long silence, as though everybody expected Voldemort to get back on his feet. The heavy silence was broken by the metallic sound of the sword falling on the floor, but he remained motionless. The dark wizard seemed vanquished, but no one in the Hall wanted to celebrate too early.

Behind Harry, Pansy stood up.

"Is he... _dead?_" she risked.

Neville simply nodded.

"Dead, like anyone who receive a sword through the stomach," Hermione said, slowly walking towards Harry and Pansy.  
"He won't... come back again, right?" Draco asked hesitantly.

It seemed to Harry that everyone was holding their breath, but he knew the answer before Neville spoke:

"No."

The whole place exploded out of excitment: Hermione jumped at Draco's neck to hug him tight, under Narcissa and Lucius's cold glare - though it seemed softer than Harry would've imagined -, and he kissed Pansy passionately. He could feel she was crying, but he knew these were tears of joy and relief. He held her tight and closed his eyes.

Everyone's life would finally be allowed to go on quietly.

**End of the chapter:** And voilà ;) only one chapter to go, then the story's over! :D


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